Three wins send Las Vegas to state

Las Vegas High softball coach Tresa Schilder expected a long, difficult day Friday as she sent her team onto the field for the first of its three games.

The Wildcats instead breezed to two early victories before rolling over Foothill 10-0 in the final to claim the Sunrise Regional title at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park.

Jennifer Gliddon pitched a six-inning one-hitter to earn the victory, which lifted Las Vegas (21-6) into next week's state tournament.

"We were really excited," said Gliddon, who avenged the Wildcats' 1-0 loss to Foothill on Thursday. "I was confident in myself, and I really wanted (a second chance)."

The Wildcats, who needed two wins over the Falcons in the championship round under the tourney's double-elimination format, scored a run in the third inning of the title game on Tiffini Lucero's double. They sent 13 batters to the plate in the fourth, extending the lead to 4-0.

The fifth inning sealed it, as Las Vegas scored five runs with the help of three singles and three errors. A misplayed bloop to left field off Chelsea Lewis' bat scored three runs to cap the inning.

Gliddon, who did not pitch in the Wildcats' first two games of the day, looked fresh from the start.

"I have two pitchers, and I can put either one in any game," said Schilder, who pitched Tajia Law in the first two games. "Going with (Gliddon) was one of those decisions I just had to make, and it worked out."

Gliddon, who had four of the Wildcats' 10 hits, ended the game under the 10-run rule with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning.

"I liked the girls' intensity tonight," Schilder said. "They wanted this more than anything."

Shantel Straily had Foothill's lone hit, a two-out bloop single to center field in the fourth.

The Falcons (21-16) will get one more chance to qualify for the state tournament when they face Centennial (30-6) in a play-in game at Silverado at 3 p.m. Monday.

• Las Vegas 6, Foothill 3 -- The Wildcats scored five runs in the sixth inning to force a second championship game against the Falcons.

Darleen Fernandez, who went 3-for-3, opened the sixth for Las Vegas with a towering home run to center field. The Falcons then unravelled, committing four errors in the inning that led to four unearned runs.

Las Vegas' Cassandra Blanco went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Law pitched a six-hitter to earn the win.

Janina Stampahar went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Foothill, which finished with seven errors.

• Las Vegas 3, Coronado 1 -- The Wildcats scored three first-inning runs and held on to beat the Cougars in the semifinal game.

Fernandez had a two-run single in the first for Las Vegas, and teammate Lindsay Anderton went 2-for-3. Law scattered eight hits to earn the victory.

Bianca Query and Carter Jones each went 3-for-3 for Coronado.