SUNSET SOFTBALL: Zahn scores in eighth as Palo Verde slides into final on Bulldog error

In Palo Verde’s potent lineup, it’s often easy to overlook freshman Camden Zahn.

The No. 2 hitter and right fielder doesn’t wield the most powerful bat on the club, but she had the perfect swing at the perfect time Friday.

Zahn hit a chopper just inside of first base to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning and raced around to score on a wild throw after a sacrifice bunt to lift the Panthers to a 10-9 win over Centennial in the losers’ bracket final of the Division I Sunset Region softball tournament at Bishop Gorman.

Palo Verde (29-7-1) will face Shadow Ridge (28-5) in the region final at 9 a.m. Saturday and must beat the Mustangs twice to advance to the state tournament.

“I was just trying to get a base hit so my team could move me over to score,” Zahn said. “We’re all just trying to contribute and pull through.”

Zahn entered the game hitting .329 with one triple and one home run on a team that has mashed a state record 49 homers and collected 144 extra-base hits.

She was 2-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt before chopping the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth just inside of first base for a single.

“She’s just a slapper,” Palo Verde coach Kelly Glass said. “Camden has really come a long way this season.”

Lauryn Barker bunted the next pitch about 10 feet in front of home plate, and Centennial catcher Makenzie Ball fielded it cleanly, but the throw to first sailed down the right-field line into foul territory. Zahn never stopped on the play, scoring from first to end the game.

Palo Verde appeared to be in control early, taking an 8-3 lead on Cara Beatty’s two-run single in the fourth inning.

But Centennial, which beat Bishop Gorman earlier in the day, rallied with five runs in the fifth, tying the game on back-to-back two-out RBI singles by Brianna Benoit and Ball.

Beatty’s two-out RBI hit in the sixth put the Panthers back in front, and Centennial (26-13) again tied it on a bases-loaded, two-out walk to Angel Love in the seventh.

“No run amount is ever enough against Centennial because they are such a good team, but we have a team full of battlers who want this more than anything,” Glass said.

Taylor Askland, who threw 128 pitches in a win over Centennial on Wednesday and 141 pitches in a 10-inning loss to Shadow Ridge on Thursday, went the distance again for the Panthers, throwing 164 pitches — 111 in the final four innings.

“She has worked hard to stick around and battle for us all year,” Glass said. “She’s going to get the ball no matter what.”

Centennial 7, Bishop Gorman 1 — Jennifer Cerrone and Deanna Barrera combined on a two-hitter to lift the Bulldogs by the Gaels in an elimination game.

Cerrone allowed two hits and struck out five in six innings, and Barrera pitched a perfect seventh inning in relief.

Angel Love’s three-run home run capped a five-run sixth inning that put the game out of reach.

Ava Dolan was 2-for-3 with a solo homer for the Bulldogs.

Hannah Gondini was 1-for-2 with a run for Gorman (19-17-1).

Contact reporter Bartt Davis at bdavis@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5230.