SUNRISE SOFTBALL: Big fifth inning ends road woes for Foothill

Foothill’s softball team has lost 11 games on the road this season, but in the team’s most important road game of the year, it came up big.

The Falcons broke a 4-4 tie with three runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth to top host Liberty, 9-4, in a Sunrise Region tournament winners’ bracket semifinal on Wednesday.

Foothill (20-14) has the comfort of playing at home the rest of the tournament and will face Rancho (25-7) in the winners’ final at 5 p.m. Thursday.

“We have not been playing so well on the road this season,” Foothill coach Tom Mayes said. “They have put it together in the last couple of travel games and did a good job. It has been a difficult chore, and our home and away records are polar opposites. For whatever reason, they put it all together today knowing this is what we’ve been playing for all season.”

Alexis Farias started the Falcons’ fifth-inning rally with a walk, and Alexia Campbell reached on an error before Kylie Becker gave Foothill the lead for good with a two-run single.

Hannah Stevens’ RBI triple drove in the first of three sixth-inning runs as Foothill put the game away. Farias added a run-scoring single, and Becker had a sacrifice fly in the inning, her third RBI of the game.

“Somebody usually steps up for us at the plate,” Mayes said. “We try to get people on regardless of how we get them on and move them over, one way or another. We’ve been noted for being pretty big hitters, and we average 8-10 runs a game. If someone holds us under five, they’ve done a pretty good job.”

Foothill took an early 4-0 lead on a two-run double by Daryan Meade and a two-run homer by Jordan Corn, but Liberty rallied to tie the game with two runs in the third inning and two in the fourth.

An error by the Falcons in the third inning aided in Liberty’s scoring.

Foothill committed five errors in the game, but the Patriots (18-13-2) didn’t capitalize often.

“The silly errors is kind of how it has been on the road for us, and when those silly things happen, the other team takes advantage or is in position to take advantage,” Mayes said. “Today, they weren’t in much position to take advantage. The good thing is we just blocked it out, came back and played great defense after the errors.”

Sadie Christian tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Kayla King to earn the win for the Falcons. Christian allowed four hits and struck out one.

“Sadie threw yesterday. She didn’t throw a lot of pitches and she did well,” Mayes said. “So, we could throw her again today if we needed to. Kayla has been waiting for a big game. Both have a different style of pitching and a different pace of the ball, so we ended up starting Kayla and bringing in Sadie to change things up.”

Marisa Olmos was 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI for Liberty, which will face Silverado (13-12) in an elimination game at 3 p.m. Thursday at Foothill.

Rancho 1, Coronado 0 — At Coronado, Jahnae Davis-Houston scored on a mishandled grounder to the pitcher’s circle with two outs in the top of the seventh to lift the Rams past the Cougars in the other winners’ bracket semifinal.

Davis-Houston singled to lead off the seventh.

Samanatha Pochop tossed a five-hitter and struck out 12 for the Rams.

Gianna Carosone and McKinzi Vega each went 2-for-3 for Rancho.

Sarah Pinkston allowed seven hits and an unearned run, and Brooke Younie went 2-for-3 for Coronado (23-13), which will face Green Valley (13-19) in an elimination game at 1 p.m. Thursday at Foothill.

Silverado 11, Valley 0 — At Silverado, Alessandra Ponce went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a game-ending home run, two runs and four RBIs as the Skyhawks eliminated the Vikings in six innings.

Korina Pindel was 2-for-3 with four RBIs, and Madison Sisco went 2-for-3 with a double, four runs and two RBIs for Silverado.

Allison Harper and Brandi Splinter combined on a four-hitter for Silverado.

Shannon Williams was 2-for-3 for Valley (11-15).

Green Valley 7, Las Vegas 3 — At Las Vegas, Samantha Loving homered to break a 3-3 tie in the top of the sixth inning and lift the Gators by the Wildcats in an elimination game.

The Gators, who had just four hits, but took advantage of four Las Vegas errors, added three runs in the seventh.

Sabrina Saldate, Skylar Gorrell and Arienn Ackerman each had two hits for Las Vegas (11-11).