SUNSET REGION: Playoff-ready Mustangs rout Gaels

Shadow Ridge’s softball team had already played three must-win games to end the regular season.

So when the postseason started Tuesday, the Mustangs were well prepared for playoff pressure.

It certainly showed.

The Mustangs hit for the cycle as a team in the game’s first six batters and scored five runs in the top of the first inning on their way to a 16-5, five-inning rout of host and Southwest League champion Bishop Gorman in the opening round of the Sunset Region tournament.

“You can’t duplicate game intensity in practice,” said Shadow Ridge coach Art Cassman, whose team beat Legacy on the final day of Northwest League play to take the league’s final postseason berth. “So when you know you have to play at your best, you come to play at your best. It’s that simple. These girls rise to the occasion. They do it again and again.”

A winner of four straight games, Shadow Ridge (16-9) will face Arbor View (22-4) at 3 p.m. today at Gorman in a winners’ bracket semifinal. Gorman (23-5-1) meets Durango (14-17) at Legacy at 3 p.m. today in an elimination game.

Danielle Buecker hit the first pitch of Tuesday’s game into center field for a single, and it touched off an eruption.

One out later, Krislyn Campos tripled. Tana Feiner followed with a homer to center, and after Justin Garganese reached on an error, Taylor Velarde doubled home a run. Kellie Gaura’s infield hit made it 5-0.

“Hitting is contagious,” Cassman said. “The girls came in focused. When they do that, we win ball games.”

Gorman, which went undefeated in Southwest play, never recovered.

The Gaels got a leadoff home run from Shelby Estocado in the bottom of the first, but didn’t get another hit until the fourth inning. By then, Shadow Ridge had taken advantage of eight Gorman errors and built a 15-1 lead.

Feiner finished 3-for-4 with a home, a triple, three runs and two RBIs.

“She can just flat hit the ball,” Cassman said.

Danette Daguiar was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, and Gaura was 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Mustangs, who had 12 hits.

“We have a lot of girls who can do a lot of things offensively,” Cassman said. “It puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”

Estocado was 2-for-3 with a homer, a double, two runs and an RBI for Gorman.

Arbor View 6, Durango 4 — At Arbor View, Kristina Billante went 3-for-3 with a pair of triples, two RBIs and a run as the Aggies edged the Trailblazers.

Karli Lehr went 3-for-4 with a RBI for Arbor View, which rallied from a 4-1 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Katie Moore was 2-for-4 with two doubles for Durango.

Centennial 9, Desert Oasis 0 — At Centennial, Kate Rauskin allowed only a one-out infield single in the fifth and struck out 10 to lead the Bulldogs (27-7) past the Diamondbacks (15-16).

Rauskin walked two and hit a batter.

Madison Henzlik went 3-for-4 for Centennial, which broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the fourth inning and tacked on six in the fifth.

Alyssa Finger was 2-for-4 with two doubles, and Lacie Chakos went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs for the Bulldogs, who will meet Palo Verde (24-9) at 5 p.m. today at Gorman.

Desert Oasis plays Spring Valley (16-11) in an elimination game at 5 p.m. today at Legacy.

Palo Verde 14, Spring Valley 2 — At Spring Valley, Melissa Lacro was 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs, and Brooke Stover went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs as the Panthers slugged their way past the Grizzlies in five innings.

Breanna Beatty went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI for Palo Verde.

Georgi DeLio went 3-for-3 with a triple for Spring Valley.