REGION SOFTBALL: Deft deflection rescues Liberty

Liberty softball coach Kris Jensen figured he was going to need a miracle to get his team past top-seeded Coronado on Thursday.

He got one.

Jensen's squad was clinging to a one-run lead with the potential tying run at third base and two outs in the seventh inning when the Cougars' Brianna Portese hit a sharp liner just over Patriots first baseman Carson Cooper's head. Cooper leaped and deflected the ball just enough to allow second baseman Brittany Huff to make the catch for the game's final out.

The unusual play helped the fourth-seeded Patriots secure an 8-7 win in the winners' bracket final of the Sunrise Region tournament at Coronado.

Liberty (22-10) advanced to Saturday's 11 a.m. championship game at Bishop Gorman. The Cougars (30-3) will play either Las Vegas or Foothill in the 5 p.m. losers' bracket final today at Foothill.

"Brittany Huff is a diamond," said Jensen, whose squad led 8-2 before allowing Coronado to rally for five runs in the bottom of the seventh. "No other second baseman is going to break full-sprint after a line drive to first base. She is a special breed."

The Patriots took control early, scoring six runs off Cougars starter Lee Harrison in a second inning, highlighted by Huff's two-run single to right field.

The Cougars scored single runs in the second and sixth innings to close their deficit to 6-2, but Liberty again pulled away with the help of Huff's RBI triple in a two-run seventh.

Patriots starter Francesca Foti came out flat in the bottom of the inning, however, and Coronado made the most of two hits, two walks, an error and a wild pitch to make the score 8-7 when Danielle Amato's liner to right field was dropped to score two runs.

Jensen, whose team was the only squad from Nevada to beat Coronado in the regular season, said his players' confidence contributed to the win. "Coronado scares a lot of teams," he said. "But we're a team that's not afraid of Coronado."

■ Las Vegas 7, Silverado 6 -- At Foothill, Kristina Nelson's bloop single to right field scored the winning run in the eighth inning to lift the Wildcats over the Skyhawks in an elimination game.

Silverado (13-8) led 5-2 in the fifth, but Las Vegas battled back and tied the score with a run in the seventh. A two-run eighth gave the Wildcats (16-13) the victory.

Nelson went 3-for-5 with two doubles to lead Las Vegas. Teammate Krizzel Galvez, who went 3-for-5, tied the score at 6 with an RBI hit in the eighth.

Taylee Heckman, Kaitlynn Crane and Kenna Turner each went 2-for-4 to lead Silverado.

■ Foothill 6, Rancho 2 -- At Foothill, Gabby Canibeyaz went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the Falcons past the Rams in an elimination game.

Foothill (18-11) scored three runs in the third inning and three in the fourth. A two-run fifth-inning rally by Rancho fell short, and Falcons pitcher Alex Petrolia held on for the win.

Aly Lamboo went 2-for-3 to lead the Rams (18-16).

Foothill will host Las Vegas in a losers' bracket semifinal at 3 p.m. today, with the winner to face Coronado at 5.

SUNSET REGION

Melissa McCormick has pitched most of Palo Verde's games for the past four seasons.

She would be hard-pressed to remember a better outing than the one she authored Thursday in the Sunset Region winners' bracket final at Bishop Gorman.

McCormick retired the first 14 batters and finished with a three-hit shutout to lead the defending region champion Panthers back to the regional title game with a 4-0 win over rival Centennial.

The Bulldogs, who had scored 27 runs in their previous two games, had only four baserunners against McCormick, who struck out eight, including Centennial's first four hitters.

"Every single game I play like it's my last one," McCormick said. "It makes me a little nervous, but it makes me work that much harder."

McCormick encountered trouble only once Thursday. With Palo Verde (28-8) leading 1-0, Centennial's Mikayla Djordjevic led off the sixth with a double to left-center. After a pop-out on a bunt attempt, Mia Acuna singled to shallow left to put runners at the corners.

McCormick escaped the jam with her eighth strikeout and a foul-out, and the Panthers scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to put away the game.

"My speed was working really well," McCormick said. "My arm was getting a little sore during the season, but it seems like it's all coming together now."

Palo Verde gave McCormick the only run she needed in the first.

Brooke Stover singled with one out, and Breanna Beatty followed with a grounder up the middle that was misplayed, putting runners at second and third for McCormick, who was intentionally walked. Freshman Melissa Lacro drilled a sharp single to center to score Ryan Roberto.

Palo Verde will face Centennial (22-11) or Durango (24-11) in the region final at 9 a.m. Saturday at Gorman. The Panthers' opponent must beat Palo Verde twice to win the region title.

Durango and Centennial will meet at 4 p.m. today at Gorman.

■ Durango 11, Shadow Ridge 8 -- At Faith Lutheran, Mindy Larson's two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth tied the score, and Katie Moore followed with a single to score Larson with the winning run as the Trailblazers rallied from a 6-0 second-inning deficit to eliminate the Mustangs (15-10).

Durango trailed 8-4 entering the bottom of the fifth but closed within 8-6 on Samantha Juarez's two-run double.

Juarez added a two-run homer in the Trailblazers' five-run sixth and finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Moore was 4-for-4 and scored three runs.

Krislyn Campos, Jasmine Bouie, Mary Jordan, Casey Velarde and Taylor Velarde each went 2-for-4 for Shadow Ridge.

■ Durango 1, Cimarron-Memorial 0 -- At Faith Lutheran, Marley Sandoval's groundout scored Juarez in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Trailblazers ousted the Spartans.

Juarez, who went 2-for-3, singled to start the sixth and went to third on Kendal Short's sacrifice bunt.

Carli Stafford was 2-for-2 and Carrie Sheehan 2-for-4 for Cimarron (21-13).

■ Shadow Ridge 13, Desert Oasis 10 -- At Faith Lutheran, the Mustangs took a 13-4 lead into the seventh and held on to eliminate the Diamondbacks (17-18).

Campos went 3-for-4, and Karla Serrano was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run for Shadow Ridge.

Natasha Chapman, Lenzi Cram and Holly O'Hara had two hits apiece for Desert Oasis, which got a three-run double from Dayana Gage.