Foothill edges into region final

The Foothill softball team had only one opportunity to score Thursday against Rancho pitchers Samantha Pochop and Brandy Marlett.

That was all the Falcons needed.

Host Foothill pushed across three runs in the fourth inning, and pitcher Sarah Penksa held Rancho in check to help the Falcons to a 3-2 victory in the winners’ bracket final of the Sunrise Region tournament.

The Falcons (19-13) advance to the region final at noon Saturday. Rancho (29-7-1) plays either Liberty or Green Valley at 4:30 p.m. today, with the winner advancing to the final and needing to beat Foothill twice.

The Falcons had only two hits through 3 1/3 innings against Pochop, and they didn’t have a runner in the final three innings after Marlett came on in relief to start the fifth. But in between, Foothill did all its damage.

With one out in the fourth, Jordan Corn reached on an error, RaeAnn Brems walked and Katelyn Enzweiler singled up the middle to load the bases. Sarah Maddox then blooped a two-run single to left field to tie the game 2-2, and an error on the play put runners on second and third.

Pochop struck out Daryan Meade looking, but with Alexia Campbell at the plate, Pochop uncorked a wild pitch. The toss from Rancho catcher McKinzi Vega to Pochop was in plenty of time, but Enzweiler’s hard slide knocked the ball loose to put the Falcons ahead 3-2.

■ Liberty 4, Green Valley 3 — Breanna Alvarez chopped a two-run single to left in the top of the sixth inning to score the go-ahead runs as the Patriots (16-8-2) eliminated the Gators (15-16).

■ Coronado 4, Silverado 0 — Jillian James fired a two-hit shutout, and the Cougars (21-15-1) topped the Skyhawks (18-8) in an elimination game.

SUNSET REGION

Palo Verde reliever Kelsea Sweeney kept finding herself in sticky situations Thursday.

Fortunately for the Panthers, Sweeney kept finding her way out of them, too.

Sweeney allowed just one run on three hits in four innings of relief, twice stranding two runners in scoring position with one out in an inning, to lead Palo Verde to a 4-3 win over archrival Centennial in the winners’ bracket final of the Sunset Region softball tournament at Bishop Gorman.

Palo Verde, which was swept by Centennial in the teams’ two regular-season meetings, advanced to the championship game at noon Saturday at Gorman and will have two chances to win and advance to state.

The Panthers (29-6) never trailed, but Centennial, which had a 13-game postseason winning streak snapped, had plenty of chances to take the lead.

Sweeney entered the game with runners at second and third and no outs in the bottom of the fourth and stranded both runners to keep the game tied 2-2.

The Bulldogs (29-7) had two runners on with two outs in the fifth, but Sweeney got cleanup hitter Savannah Horvath to fly to right.

With the Panthers holding a 4-3 lead in the sixth, Centennial had runners at second and third with one out, but Sweeney got two consecutive strikeouts.

And in the seventh, after Heather Bowen singled with one out, Sweeney got a flyout and a strikeout to end the game and put the Panthers within one win of returning to the Division I state tournament.

Rachel Williams was 2-for-3, and Melissa Lacro and Kiley Harrison each went 2-for-4 for Palo Verde, which outhit Centennial 10-5.

Lauren Stroman and Lacie Chakos each went 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Bulldogs, who will play at 4 p.m. today against either Arbor View (16-11-1) or Bishop Gorman (22-8). The Aggies and Gaels meet at 2.

■ Bishop Gorman 9, Sierra Vista 0 — Shelby Estocado went 4-for-4 with a grand slam and five RBIs, and Dayton Yingling tossed a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts as the Gaels routed the Mountain Lions (7-14).

■ Arbor View 3, Shadow Ridge 1 — Bryce Henricksen, Kayla Stephens and Marissa Bachman all had two-out RBI hits in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift the Aggies by the Mustangs (17-8) in an elimination game.

DIVISION I-A SOUTHERN REGION

Good things come to those who wait.

The wait is finally paying off for Pahrump Valley four-year starter Whitney Roderick, who is pitching in her postseason debut.

Roderick spun a five-hitter with no earned runs, striking out 10 and walking one, to guide the Trojans to an 8-2 victory over Boulder City on Thursday in the winners’ bracket final of the Division I-A Southern Region softball tournament at Faith Lutheran.

Pahrump Valley (22-13) will play in the Division I-A Southern Region championship game at noon Saturday at Faith Lutheran.

The Eagles (24-6) will play at 5 p.m. today at Faith Lutheran against either Tech (15-8) or Faith Lutheran (21-13). The Roadrunners and Crusaders meet at 3.

■ Tech 14, Virgin Valley 7 — Ashley Ramsey was 3-for-6 with two doubles and three runs as the Roadrunners used a nine-run third inning to top the Bulldogs (11-21) in an elimination game.

■ Faith Lutheran 14, Cheyenne 5 — Alex Wright had a two-run homer and an RBI single to lead the Crusaders past the Desert Shields (21-17-1) in an elimination game.

DIVISION IV SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Winning pitcher Hannah Thormahlen went 2-for-5 with a triple Thursday to help the Indian Springs softball team to a 9-5 win over Tonopah in the opening round of the Division IV Southern League tournament in Alamo.

■ Pahranagat Valley 14, Sandy Valley 1 — The Panthers had just five hits, but took advantage of four walks and six hit batters to rout the Sidewinders in five innings.