Richard Smith
West Valley Preps

Centennial and Vista Grande scored fairly easily in the first inning of their 5A softball play in game Wednesday afternoon.

But for the next two hours of play, both teams were anemic and both pitchers put the clamps on when they were in trouble. The elimination game entered extra innings and by the ninth, a runner started the inning stationed on second base.



That was the spark No. 14 Centennial needed in the bottom of the ninth. Junior third baseman Natalie Del Ponte began the inning halfway home, and with one out sophomore first baseman Hailey Galvez laid down a sacrifice bunt.

As Del Ponte reached third base, Galvez banged into the Vista Grande first baseman's glove and knocked the ball free. Del Ponte sprinted home to secure the Coyotes 2-1 victory and a spot in the main bracket.

"There was no doubt. I saw that ball knocked out and I was going home," Del Ponte said.

The Coyotes will learn its Saturday opponent Thursday afternoon and will remain at No. 14 since no teams with better seeds lost Wednesday. If rankings from Saturday hold to form Centennial (12-15 overall, 11-8 regular season) will travel to No. 3 Tucson Sahuaro.

Regardless of the team's destination, Coach Randy Kaye said situational hitting must improve greatly. Following the first inning, three Coyotes were stranded in scoring position.

The home half of the seventh was the toughest scoring chance thrown away. Galvez led off getting to second on a fielding error and took third with the Spartans' defense shifted to handle freshman outfielder Aubrey Maya's bunt.

However, senior pitcher Rachelle Gay picked up a strikeout and popup to send the game into extra innings.

"I told them that's not going to be good enough to win the next one," Coach Kaye said. "To be quite honest, I don't know if I liked anything offensively."

Gay and her counterpart, junior Alanna Moran, were not overpowering. But both kept the hitters off balance and showed fortitude in pitching nine innings.

Centennial's only other run came with two outs in the first. Del Ponte poked a bloop double just inside the right field line and senior DH Kaitlyn Mauser laced an RBI single to right.

After giving up an unearned run before recording her first out, Moran took advantage of senior Ariana Lopez getting greedy after her RBI single, then sent down the next eight batters in order.

She walked two in the fourth but ended the threat on a strikeout with Spartans on second and third.

Senior Ali Belloc scored the only Vista Grande run in the first, but looked primed to add to it in the sixth, bunting for a single and swiping second while the Coyotes were off guard. Lopez moved her over.



Moran preserved the tie when a bunt attempt hit the Spartans player outside the batters box and with a two-out punch out. But she and her coach were quick to credit sophomore catcher Mackenzie Celaya, who blocked four pitches in the dirt with Belloc in scoring position.

"She saved my life in that inning," Moran said.

Moran allowed two singles in the seventh but picked up a routine grounder. She did not allow a base runner in extra innings.

"Alanna continued to work on what we'd talked about. We were just going to nibble and she kept going there. Kenzie did an amazing job behind the plate. I don't think she had one passed ball. I think that's the first time Alanna threw a full seven innings," Coach Kaye said.

It is the latest chapter in an unlikely story for Moran, who only decided to play for the Coyotes' new coach days before tryouts. Projected ace Sydnie Sahhar has missed the season with a spine injury.

Moran had to build her stamina in the early season but emerged as Centennial's best option. She pitched 84 innings this year before Wednesday's marathon.

"I've never pitched nine innings before," Moran said. "This year has been great and I'm so glad I decided to play."