Richard Smith

West Valley Preps

Softball is usually a game of inches when the playoffs start.

This one was a matter of millimeters.

#4 Sunrise Mountain trailed #13 Rio Rico 6-5 entering the bottom of the seventh. With one out and two runners on, sophomore Bailee Cordova hit a bloop that a charging Hawks outfielder got a glove on but could not catch.

Junior pinch runner Haley Potts brought in the tying run on that play. And seconds later the Mustangs were running for joy toward the plate after sophomore Summer Pells looped the game-winning RBI inside the first base line for the 7-6 victory.

"It didn't really work out early in the game. But I kept that confidence going and it worked out in the end," Pells said. "It was a great time. Playing with these girls on this field has meant a lot to me. Especially these seniors. They mean a lot to us."

With 4A switching to a double-elimination format in the final eight this year, Sunrise Mountain (22-3) remains at home Tuesday afternoon to host #5 Tucson Salpointe Catholic (28-4-1) in a crucial, but not essential, second round game.

It will feel a bit early for these perennial contenders to face off.

"Summer is a great hitter and she was in her head a little bit, Hopefully that breaks her out of whatever funk she was in. That would be super helpful having her being a force in our lineup," Pruitt said. "It's good. We get two games with Cactus, late, and that's about it. So (playing a tough opponent like this) will help."

By then the Mustangs will have caught their breath. Rio Rico (22-11-1) scored early, then scared the daylights out of the hosts with a five-run sixth inning that could have been bigger.

Trailing 5-1, the visitors from Southern Arizona announced their intentions. Junior Mina Rodriguez led off with a triple. After a walk, senior Nicol Ley drove Rodriguez in.

Another run came home on an error. And with the bases loaded, senior Mia Rodriguez cleared them by doubling to deep center.

Now trailing 6-5 with no outs, the Mustangs brought on junior Dallis Mitchell in relief of sophomore Kylee Messmer. Mitchell got an out, but walked a batter and hit another.

She then picked up two huge strikeouts to keep her team within a run.

"(Rio Rico) doesn't take passive swings at the plate. They're aggressive and when they run into one, they hit it hard," Pruitt said. "Kylee was super nervous, but when we scored a few, she seemed to settle in. All of a sudden, they started putting a lot of pressure on. Dallis came in and did a great job. That's not an easy position to come in on. She came in and did everything we needed."

Before the rough inning, Messmer appeared to have figured the Hawks and their pressure-filled small ball game out. She allowed a run in the first inning and watched Rio Rico load the bases with no outs in the third before escaping with two strikeouts and a popup.

Meanwhile, Cordova created most of the offense. She drove in a first inning run to tie it.

Freshman Berylnn Stockton scored the second run by sliding under a tag after a second inning error.

Then, with two outs in the third and the bases loaded, Cordova lifted a fly ball to deep right center. Again a Rio Rico player ran in but could not secure the catch.

All three runners scored for a 5-1 Mustangs lead.

"It was incredible. No matter what situation I was blessed to be encouraged and picked up by my team," Cordova said.

Sunrise Mountain's Berlynn Stockton scores off an error by the Rio Rico defense on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at Sunrise Mountain High School in Peoria. [Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps][/caption]