Richard Smith

West Valley Preps

It almost seemed like one of those errors in score reporting. Sunrise Mountain softball, out after two straight losses in the double elimination portion of the 4A bracket?

And plucky #9 seed Flagstaff Coconino is the team that eliminates the Mustangs? Yet that is exactly what happened Thursday afternoon at Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix.

Junior pitcher Kaitlyn Snopek worked her way out of jams in five innings. Then Coconino (18-13) broke loose for three runs on three hits in the top of the sixth and held on for the 3-1 upset.

"(Kaitlyn) did a great job. I just told her it was probably the best she pitched all year. She's battled through for us in a lot of games," Coconino coach Kimberly Dennis said. "She was hitting her spots and keeping them off balance. And she does well when she knows she had trust in her defense."

It was not the same team Sunrise Mountain (22-5) brushed off 12-1 March 30 in Flagstaff. Then again, the Mustangs did not resemble the team that earned the #4 seed, and, as coach Jody Pruitt said afterward, have not since the playoffs began.

This year's team peaked in a 9-8 win at rival Cactus on April 17 and beat a solid 5A team in Ironwood 8-5 to end the regular season.

But nothing was easy after that. The Mustangs trailed #13 Rio Rico entering their last at bat in the first round before earning a reprieve, then lost to #5 Tucson Salpointe Catholic Tuesday on two Lancer runs in the top of the seventh.

"We've been struggling at the plate the last four or five games. It really slid once we got to the playoffs. That's where experience comes in. We had five returners and only a couple were in the lineup," Pruitt said. "I think it was an exhausting last part of the season for the kids. I've got to look within myself and see what do I need to do different as we come to the end. Maybe we didn't have enough days off. Maybe we got a bit too much into selfish play."

Senior catcher Grace Schmidt fouled off a couple two-strike pitches before doubling to center to lead off the bottom of the second. She never advanced from second, though, as all the Mustangs could muster was a walk.

Even when they took the lead in the third inning, the perennial Peoria powerhouse was left wanting for more.

Senior Jaymie Moore started it by hitting a bloop single to shallow center. With one out, she advanced to third and sophomore pitcher Kylee Messmer was safe at first thanks to a fielding error.

Junior Kailey Maksim walked to load the bases, but Schmidt popped out. Moore scored the game's first run on a wild pitch and sophomore Bailee Cordova walked to reload the bases.

But Snopek induced a fly ball to keep the score 1-0.

"We had runners on pretty much (every inning). I haven't looked but it felt like it," Pruitt said.

Coconino did not threaten against Messmer until the top of the fifth, when junior Sam Seery singled and sophomore Brooklyn Wong bunted for a hit with two outs. But Messmer shut that down.

Schmidt singled and Cordova walked with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, only to be stranded.

Then the Panthers were prepared in their third time through the order. Senior McKenna Gladden led off with a double that rolled to the center field fence.

"I don't think we were being disciplined at first. So we had that discussion," Dennis said, "McKenna fought that inning and was able to start us off."

Junior Taylor Brown followed with an RBI double to left to tie it and senior Hailey Chiaverni entered to run for Brown. Snopek laid down a bunt and was safe on a throwing error, which allowed Chiaverni to score.

Snopek took second on the error and third on a wild pitch before Dennis called on senior Tayler Dominguez to pinch run for her. Junior Ashlyn Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly to score Dominguez and cap the rally.

"Kylee did a great job. None of that was her. If we catch a ball in center field, and field a bunt, back a throw up and cut a ball off ... there was way too many mistakes," Pruitt said.

Freshman Berlynn Stockton advanced to second on dropped fly ball with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Then Moore was hit by a pitch.

But Snopek steadied herself, ending the threat by picking up a flyout and a strikeout. The Mustangs had first and second with two outs in the seventh but a ground ball out ended the game.

After knocking off the 2017 4A runner up, Coconino will get another crack at defending champion and top seed Tucson Canyon del Oro Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Sunrise Mountain's young squad will prepare for the challenge of 5A. Moore and Schmidt are the only seniors.

Texas Tech-bound, Schmidt has been a rock behind the plate and in the heart of the order. Moore, Pruitt said, grew for a casual player as an underclassmen to a South Mountain Community College signee as a senior.

"Grace has been an absolute champ. Having two previous catchers as coaches made it really tough on her. But she embraced it instead of taking it as criticism. It'll be fun to see what she does at the next level," Pruitt said. "We've had Jaymie for four years. To watch her mature from a screwball to someone who is taking the game serious was fun to watch."

Sunrise Mountain's Berlynn Stockton reaches second base on an error against Coconino on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix. [Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps][/caption]