Some softball games are all about pitching, others come down to defense and others offensive execution. But every once in a while, another factor can swing the outcome.
Arbor View coach Lea Ann Jarvis thinks the tournament site played a pivotal role in the Class 5A state tournament on Thursday.
A ball that Jarvis said would have been an out at Arbor View was a walkoff home run at Faith Lutheran, as Kiki Harris’ solo shot to lead off the bottom of the seventh gave Bishop Manogue a 2-1 win over the Aggies in the tournament’s opening round.
“That little ball that that one girl just hit out, that’s a can of corn at our ballpark,” Jarvis said. “That’s a catch at most ballparks that we play in. Now, no disrespect, because she’s their leading hitter and she’s their leading home run hitter.”
Harris hit a towering fly ball to left on a 1-0 pitch from Ava Henderson that just cleared the fence in left and gave the Miners the win, moving them into the winner’s bracket. Manogue (31-3) will play Southern Region champion Palo Verde (22-1) at 3:30 p.m. on Friday at Faith Lutheran. The Panthers advanced with a 15-0, three-inning rout over Reed.
Arbor View (26-10) plays the Raiders (27-12) in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m., with the winner of that game taking on the Palo Verde-Manogue loser at 5:30 p.m.
Both Henderson and Manogue’s Sammi Boggs were outstanding in throwing complete games on Thursday. Boggs allowed an unearned run on five hits. She struck out 14 with no walks. Henderson gave up only two hits — both solo home runs — and struck out 11 with no walks.
“They both looked really good,” Jarvis said. “For the first two rounds, we didn’t make a lot of adjustments. And then we started making those adjustments in the third round, and sometimes that’s too late.”
Henderson retired the first 14 batters she faced before Kaylee Sanchez homered to left with two outs in the fifth to give Manogue a 1-0 lead.
“That was a bomb,” Jarvis said.
Arbor View threatened in the sixth after two-out singles by Peyton Williams and Madi Lowy put runners at the corners. But Boggs struck out cleanup hitter Henderson to end the inning.
The Aggies finally pushed a run across in the top of the seventh. Audrey Melton singled with one out and was lifted for pinch-runner Khloe Beno.
Shawnee Casorla then lined a one-hopper to right field. Loralei Hysell fielded the ball and gunned Casorla down at first. Beno rounded second, and Harris tried to throw behind the runner, but her throw sailed into the gap in left center, and Beno scored easily to tie the game.
“Fast people make people nervous,” Jarvis said. “She had already been making them nervous over here on first with the lead she was getting, so when she rounded second they thought they could pick her and ended up throwing it in the outfield and give us the run. Their mistake, our gain.”
Williams had two hits for the Aggies, who will try to bounce back against Reed after the tough loss.
“We’ve got to hold our head up high,” Jarvis said. “We’re a good team. Nothing changed. We’ve got to make those adjustments at the plate. We’ve got to hit the ball better and put more runs on the board.
“That was a good game, and you like to be a part of good games.”
Defending state champs roll
There was far less suspense in the other opening-round game, as defending state champion Panthers won their 15th straight game behind a no-hitter from Ava Koenig.
Koenig hit the leadoff batter with the first pitch of the game, then retired the next 10 in order, and Palo Verde ended the game early via the mercy rule.
“It’s pretty hot out here, so it’s nice to save our energy and get ahead early and just warm up for the next games and everything,” said Koenig, who struck out seven.
“It just feels good to get momentum like that going into tomorrow. We’re really hot right now, so hopefully we can stay on the high.”
Haley Kearnes was 2-for-3 with a double, a homer and five RBIs to help power the Panthers, whose only loss came against Arbor Veiw on March 31.
Samantha Williams was 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs, and Koenig went 2-for-2 with a double and a RBI for Palo Verde, which racked up 12 hits. Eight of the nine Palo Verde starters had a hit.
