Jennifer Jimenez
For West Valley Preps

Rankings never really mean anything once the playoffs start. Both teams have to show up and play seven innings on the softball field.

No. 2 Shadow Ridge was the favorite against No. 15 Gilbert Mesquite simply by ranking and after finishing the regular season 25-5, they earned it. But the Wildcats looked like a dangerous lower seed in a single-game elimination scenario and proved to be so Saturday.

Mesquite tied the game 5-5with a four-run fifth inning. Shadow Ridge answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and held on for the 7-5 win in the 5A first round game.

Stallions head coach Vicki Bejarano said after being knocked out last season by lower seed Casa Grande in the state tournament, this year they have focused on staying mentally strong.

“We were in a tough position last year, so we’ve been working since then to see how we can get past those jitters and the nervousness and the youth and everything else,” coach Bejarano said. “This is our first year having a senior class who has been through the program all four years and we just worked through these types of situations in practice.”

And all that preparation paid off.

Shadow Ridge advances to the second round of the state tournament and will host No. 10 Queen Creek at 4 p.m. May 2. The remainder of the tournament is double elimination until the finals on May 15.

After a scoreless first inning, Mesquite earned the first run of the game in the top of the second. Lisette Sotelo singled to center field and stole second. She found third after the out was made at first on Andrea Santillan.

Sotelo scored after a ground out to third by Samantha Holbert for the 1-0 lead. Shadow Ridge pitcher Devynn Marshall caught Ashlie MacAlpine looking for a third strike to end the inning.

Shadow Ridge didn’t trail long. Cassidy Young cranked a two-run home run over the fence in right center field, giving the home team a 2-1 lead. They held Mesquite in the third and their offense exploded when it was their turn at-bat.

Riley Holmberg started it off with a single into shallow left field, but she was thrown out at second after a fielder’s choice on a hit from Mickaela Covarrubio, who singled. Marshall smacked a two-run double into left field and the Stallions were up 4-1. Aris Carroll hit a one-run single into right field and increased their lead 5-1.

It took Mesquite a couple more innings before they could string together enough hits to get some momentum. Ashley Michelena walked and Caroline Chilton got on base after an error by the Stallions. With runners on first and second, the Wildcats caught Shadow Ridge’s defense on their heels and both runners advanced one base.

That opened the door for Fallon Dragich who hit a two-run double into left field and now they trailed 5-3. Kaitlynn Carter made Marshall work in the circle to a full count before getting walked. Sotelo earned another hit and was safe as first as the Stallions elected to force the out at third. Santillan walked on a 3-1 count and with the bases were loaded up, Holbert hit a two-run RBI to right field to tie the game at 5.

Marshall worked through Mesquite’s entire order in the top of the fifth inning and her mental toughness was challenged. Coach Bejarano said this year they have put themselves in situations just like this game in order to push through.

“We have grown as a team and know in order to get out of bad situations you have to communicate, stay mentally strong and not panic,” Coach Bejarano said.

Marshall said during this inning, she had to take a step back and breathe.

“I just closed my eyes and told myself it was okay and I knew my team was behind me. I was hurting a little bit and so I just had to focus and keeping throwing strikes and telling myself my team would pick me up,” she said.

And Shadow Ridge responded. Covarrubio walked and Hayley Bejarano doubled to left field. Covarrubio scored on a sacrifice fly from Marshall to go ahead 6-5.

Caroll chased an off-speed pitch, but hung on and hit a blooper over the head of the short stop to score Bejarano.  Mesquite had two more chances to go to earn some runs, but left Caroline Chilton stranded at second in the sixth and Sotela and Holbert in the seventh to end the game.

Wildcat head coach  Gloria Hernandez said Shadow Ridge just flat at executed and all she could do as a coach was watch.

Hernandez said when her team gave up four runs in the third inning, she knew her team would respond because they talked about situations like this all the time.

“You have to face adversity head on and I told the girls they were just punched in the mouth and now it was up to them to decide how to respond,” coach Hernandez said. “To their credit, they (Mequite) didn’t give up.”