I-A SOFTBALL: Valdez, Kidd help Crusaders outlast Spring Valley

Faith Lutheran softball coach John Chilman is quick to credit seniors Vanessa Valdez and Cheyenne Kidd for his team’s success this year.

The two gave their coach another reason to be proud Friday.

Kidd’s two-out single in the bottom of the 11th inning plated Valdez with the winning run as the host Crusaders rallied past Spring Valley, 2-1, in the losers’ bracket final of the Division I-A Southern League Tournament.

Faith Lutheran (29-9) will meet Sierra Vista (17-7) in the title game at 10 a.m. Saturday and must beat the Mountain Lions twice to win the region tournament. Both teams advance to next week’s state tournament.

“This whole tournament, our two captains, Vanessa and Cheyenne, have really stepped up to the plate,” Chilman said. “They don’t want their season to end, which is the way you expect your seniors to be.”

Valdez led off the bottom of the 11th with a single. One out later, winning pitcher Mosie Foley singled to move Valdez to second.

With two outs, Kidd singled to right-center to end a classic pitchers’ duel.

Foley allowed one run on 10 hits and struck out five in 11 innings and helped herself on defense in the ninth inning.

After Mariah Ward tripled with one out, the Grizzlies tried to score her with a squeeze play. However, the bunt was lined to Foley, who made the catch and threw to shortstop to Makena Martin to force Ward out at third base.

“Mosie has been our workhorse all year,” Chilman said. “She actually was sick yesterday. She almost didn’t play today. She fought it off and came to school. We haven’t had a full squad in two weeks. We’ve had different girls being sick, but she toed the rubber today and did the job. She was amazing. I cannot say enough about her. She is as great a person as a player.”

Spring Valley’s Michaela Hood, who threw seven innings in her team’s first game of the day, allowed nine hits and struck out 14 in 10 2/3 innings.

Four of her strikeouts came with the go-ahead or winning run standing on third base in the sixth, eighth and 10th innings.

“What can you say about Michaela Hood,” Chilman said. “She was phenomenal today. I think she threw about 200 pitches. I take my hat off to the Spring Valley players and coaches. They were awesome.”

Valdez went 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored for Faith Lutheran.

Madison Macove went 3-for-5 and scored a run to lead the Grizzlies (20-9). Madison Hood went 2-for-5 with a double for Spring Valley.

Spring Valley 5, Boulder City 1 — Michaela Hood tossed a two-hitter and struck out 13 to lead the Grizzlies past the Eagles in the losers’ bracket semifinal

Hood also went 3-for-4 with a double, a run and a RBI for Spring Valley, which scored four runs in the third inning.

Alyssa Ybarra was 1-for-3 with a run for Boulder City (25-10).