Arizona state softball
Winslow, Window Rock advance
By Manuel Jesus
Special to the Times
E-mail this story
Winslow and Window Rock advanced into Friday's 2008 Arizona 3A state softball tournament after two impressive wins on Friday and Saturday.
The No. 1 seed in this year's state tournament, Winslow easily outscored conference opponent and No. 16 Ganado in the first round, 22-0. The game was called in the fifth inning.
Winslow also defeated No. 8 Safford in a squeaker, 6-4, in the second round on Saturday. Winslow plays No. 4 Santa Cruz in the semifinals on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Rose Mofford Complex in Phoenix.
Santa Cruz won the 3A West region with a 12-0 record and 24-2 overall season record.
Winslow coach Becke Barris said her team needs to be read to play Santa Cruz.
"Santa Cruz is a very tough team, they have great hitters, are great base runners with a lot of speed and good pitching," Barris said. "We will have to be very ready to play in order to beat them,"
No. 6 Window Rock defeated No. 11 Globe in the first round on Friday to advance into the second round where they beat No. 3 Show Low, 6-4
The Lady Scouts will meet Wickenburg in the semi-finals on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Rose Mofford Complex.
"(Our) team played as a team," said Window Rock coach Hank Hanson. "Everybody was consistent with their fielding and with their hitting. We came together as a team and people just stepped up.
"Shelby (Burbank) has been pretty consistent all season long," Hanson said of his junior pitcher. "Our defense had been down, but pitching has just been consistent."
Hanson said his team was down 3-0 to Show Low on Saturday, but the team pulled together in the fourth inning and scored six runs to take the lead and the 6-4 win.
Regarding their next opponent, No. 2 Wickenburg, Hanson said, "They are just like any other team. They have real hard hitters. They are very consistent. Maybe they're the same caliber team as they were three years ago."
Other 3A North schools that competed were No. 13 Tuba City who lost to No. 4 Santa Cruz in the first round on Friday, 5-1.
No. 14 Chinle was also eliminated in the first round as they were shutout by No. 3 Show Low on Friday with a 10-0 score.
2A softball
North No. 2 Pinon had a successful season this year but at state they were easily eliminated by Bourgade Catholic, 19-0, in the first round of the 2A state softball championships at Rose Mofford Complex.
Also being eliminated in the first round of state was North No. 3 Hopi. The Lady Bruins were beaten by Pusch Ridge, 13-2, in the first round.
North No. 4 Greyhills was shutout by Northwest Christian, 10-0.
North top seed St. Johns won the first round game on Friday over Valley Christian, 2-0, to advance to the second round, but were eliminated by Pusch Ridge, 13-2.