Silverado’s shifting lineup finds way to beat Eldorado

Early-season softball games are often experiments for coaches.

They’re chances to get a look at players in different positions and to see how a team reacts to adversity.

Silverado first-year coach Albert Hernandez got all of that on Tuesday, constantly tinkering with his lineup to help the Skyhawks pull out a 6-5 win at Eldorado.

“We have a good, quality bunch of players, and I know they’re going to find a way to win,” Hernandez said. “Good teams find a way to win. It was an ugly win, but they found a way to win.”

The Skyhawks (5-1) used three pitchers, two catchers and rotated through defensive positions as though they were musical chairs.

Only first baseman Ashlee Phillips and second baseman Ari Montuno remained in their starting defensive spot for the entire game. Riana Splinter played shortstop, third base, left field and catcher — in just the first four innings.

“Our practices are geared to mixing girls up, just changing things around so that come game time, they’re used to it.,” Hernandez said.

And somehow, it all worked, despite Silverado letting a 3-1 fourth-inning lead slip away.

Eldorado (4-2) took advantage of two walks, a throwing error and a nasty-hop single to right field to score three runs in the bottom of the fourth and take a 4-3 lead.

Silverado, though, needed little time to respond.

Montuno singled to lead off the fifth, and Kiki Pindel followed with a triple. Riana Splinter’s RBI double and Taylee Heckman’s run-scoring single reestablished a two-run lead.

Heckman, the third Skyhawks pitcher, took care of the rest. She worked the last 3 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and one run — on Taylor Schroeder’s two-out double in the seventh.

Phillips and Montuno each went 3-for-4 for Silverado, which pounded out 13 hits. Splinter was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, and Pindel and Heckman each went 2-for-4.

Schroeder was 2-for-3, and Cheyanne Schindler went 2-for-4 for the Sundevils.