Red Mountain's Matisen Onofrei connects for 2-run HR to tie Perry in the 7th inning. (AzPreps365 photo)

There were plenty of hits in the Red Mountain-Perry softball game Friday  -- 27 -- and it legitimately could be deemed a slugfest.

But a closer look suggests Red Mountain pitcher Makayla Donahoo came away with a gem of sorts in six solid, gutty innings as the Mountain LIons gradually overcame a 6-2 defict to defeat Perry, 11-7, in nine innings at Perry High.

Red Mountain won its fifth game in a row and is 13-8 overall and 5-3 in power-ranking games. Perry, (14-4, 6-2 prg), which was riding high after a strong effort in the Dave Kops Tournament of Champions two weeks ago, dropped two of three power-ranking games this week and has lost three of its last four games.

"Makayla's been struggling lately trying to get her command back," Red Mountain coach Rich Hamilton said. "She's had a some lack of control. She may have found it again in the middle of this game, and we needed it. She pitched very well when we had to have it."

Donahoo, a sophomore, surrendered a trio of two-run homers in the first three innings that had her team on the ropes to Perry, 6-2. Perry's Jillian Lagasca blasted two and Piper Lujan one -- all to center field. It looked to make for a long day on the road for Red Mountain, which opened its region schedule with a hard-earned 9-5 win over Dobson the day before.

Over the next six innings, however, Donahoo allowed one run (a solo homer to Chloe Krason). After giving up six runs and six hits the first three frames, she allowed five hits and one run over the last half dozen. She walked two and struck out eight.

Donahoo had to be stellar in extra innings -- especially in the seventh and eighth -- as Perry's leadoff batter reached representing the winning run. Donahoo stranded a runner at second in the seventh and at third in the eighth. The leadoff batter reached on an error to begin the ninth, but at that point the Mountain Lions had a four-run cushion.

Donahoo's stretch of pitching from the fourth inning on was just long enough for her teammates to rally and tie the game at 7 in the top of the seventh thanks to a two-run homer by battery mate Matisen Onofrei. Onofrei was in the middle of every inning the Mountain Lions scored. She  finished 3 for 4 and was hit by a pitch. Her spot in the order scored four times.

The Mountain LIons went ahead and won in the top of the ninth with a four-run outtburst against Perry's Saige Stutz. Onofrei singled to begin the ninth. A bunt by Alayna HIcks ended up putting two on after the the throw to second was late trying to erase Onofrei.

Kayden Bullock followed with a single to load the bases. Hailey Berry put Red Mountain ahead for the first time since the first inning with a sacrifice fly. A double by Felicia Ray made it 9-7 and No. 9 hitter Angelica Sanchez lined a two-run triple to cap the rally.

Red Mountain was outhit, 7-4, through the first four innings, but by game's end had a 16-11 edge in the hit department. Bullock and Hicks joined Onofrei with three hits for Red Mountain and Ray and Donahoo had two hits apiece. Perry's offense was relegated to its first five battlers, who combined for 10 of its 11 hits. Lagasca and Krason had three hits each with Lagasca driving in four runs with her homers. Lujan and Briana Mattos collected two hits each.

"This was a barometer game for us," Hamilton said. "We needed to show we can beat a good team and Perry is a good team. They may not have played their best today, but we needed to go out an prove ourselves."