Liberty’s fourth victory of day is sophomore English’s third

After 11 hours of softball, just when almost every other player was wearing down, Liberty's Breanna English was getting warmed up.

English was at her best in her third start of the day in the Cowboy Classic Tournament at Hollywood Recreation Center. The sophomore had 11 strikeouts in the Patriots' 4-1 victory over Valley in both teams' fourth game of the day.

"The only time you're going to beat (English) is in the first few innings. She just gets stronger and stronger with each game, with each start," said Liberty coach Kris Jensen, whose team went 4-0. "She pitched better in that 6:30 game than she did at 9 a.m."

Then again, English wasn't too shabby in the morning, allowing Valley four hits while striking out 10 in a 2-1 victory.

But in the late game, she was in total command. As the game progressed, she almost toyed with Valley hitters, pulling pitch after pitch from her loaded arsenal. And with eight pitches to choose from, she certainly had her pick.

English developed her deep repertoire while sitting out much of her freshman season with a stress fracture in her right femur.

"She'll show a pitch early, put it away for a while and then come back to it," Jensen said. "And she calls her own game. We just sit back and enjoy the ride."

English said, "With the injury last year, I became a student of the game. Sitting and watching everything, I realized more things than I did playing out there."

In the late game, Liberty scored quickly on Robin Lowery's two-run triple in the first inning. Lowery finished 3-for-4.

Playing with an early lead, the Patriots were able to sit back and watch their ace in action. Well, almost all of them.

"I'm not very confident until we get that very last out," Jensen said. "I was a baseball coach for a while, where no lead is safe. Now I'm starting to get my confidence back, especially with Bre on the mound."

In the teams' morning game, an RBI triple by Michelle Hall in the fifth inning proved to be the difference.

• Liberty 10, Cheyenne 0 -- English had five strikeouts in a four-hitter for the Patriots.

Liberty's Diana Cassaro and Lowery each hit doubles.

• Liberty 19, Chaparral 0 -- Danielle Brock threw a no-hitter with five strikeouts in five innings for the Patriots.

Brock also was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs.

• Lake Oswego (Ore.) 24, Desert Pines 8 -- Maggie Sholian pounded two home runs, including a fifth-inning grand slam, as the Lakers pounded the Jaguars.

Sholian was 2-for-3 with six RBIs and three runs. Desert Pines' Megan Robbins was 3-for-4 with a triple.

• Valley 18, Desert Pines 0 -- Mickayla Romero and Vanessa Corona homered for the Vikings, who scored 13 runs in the third and fourth innings.

LaShanda Martinez was 3-for-4 with a triple, double and three RBIs for Valley.

Megan Robbins doubled twice for the Jaguars.

• Valley 5, Lake Oswego (Ore.) 1 -- Romero hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, went 2-for-4 and pitched a two-hitter for the Vikings.

Jasmine Villamar added a triple for Valley.

• Cheyenne 10, Liberty 1 -- The Desert Shields scored eight runs in the first inning to take control.

Lexi Galindo had a double and pitched a two-hitter for the victory.

• Desert Pines 26, Chaparral 3 -- Teresa Ibarra hit for the cycle to lead the Jaguars.

Ibarra finished 4-for-5 with six RBIs as Desert Pines rapped out 17 hits.

• Desert Pines 17, Cheyenne 14 -- The Jaguars scored nine runs in the first inning, then had to hold off the Desert Shields.

Cheyenne's Jasmine Fukuda had a home run, two doubles and four RBIs. Erin Elder was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI for the Desert Shields.

• Lake Oswego (Ore.) 8, Cheyenne 6 -- Eight consecutive baserunners scored for the Lakers in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Stephanie Vacca was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs for the Desert Shields.

• Lake Oswego (Ore.) 16, Chaparral 5 -- The Lakers jumped on the Cowboys for nine runs in the first inning and five more in the third.

Chaparral's Alyce Montelongo scored twice and got on base three times on two walks and an error.

• Lake Oswego (Ore.) 13, Chaparral 12 -- The Lakers had innings of six and five runs in their narrow victory.

Kate Childs and Julia Klitzke each hit RBI doubles for Lake Oswego.

Cowboys pitcher Katrina Bilynsky had two doubles.