Friday, May 9, 2003 | 9:50 a.m.
The swagger is developing and the game is coming right along to back it up for the Green Valley softball team.
Behind a dominant pitching performance from Meaghan Haley, the Gators cruised to a 9-0 win against Coronado in the winners' bracket semifinals of the Sunrise Region playoffs Thursday night at Stephanie Lynn Craig Fields.
The Gators (SE-1) hovered near the top of the city's softball elite throughout the season, but they did not solidify their spot in that echelon until an upset win against perennial favorite Silverado in the final days of the regular season. That win earned Green Valley the Southeast Division title.
The two teams meet again in today's winners' bracket final. Haley said the Gators are ready.
"The first time we played them, I think we were intimidated," Haley said. "The second time, we just opened up. I think if we play like we did (Thursday), we have it."
Haley allowed Coronado just a pair of singles in the first and seventh innings, striking out 10 and relying on a solid defense to take care of the rest.
"I felt I pitched really well today and then with our defense, anything they hit on the ground, I feel really confident," Haley said.
A six-run second inning gave Haley more than enough cushion. Green Valley knocked eight hits and took advantage of two Cougars errors to break the game open. The big blow came on Trina Dorn's three-run double to the gap in left- center that doubled the Gators' lead to 6-0.
"We shut the door and they never did attempt to open it," Gators coach Mary Scales said.
The winner of today's showdown earns a berth to next week's 4A State Tournament, while the loser must scrap through at least one more game to get in.
"Silverado will come back at us," Scales said. "I guess they're angry that we dethroned them."
The Skyhawks earned their spot by handling Las Vegas (NE-1), 3-0. Morgan Miller pitched a solid game, fanning seven and allowing just three hits.
Coronado faces Basic (SE-4) and Las Vegas takes on Rancho (NE-4) in Sunrise elimination games today.
On the Sunset side, Northwest top seed Centennial survived a scare from Palo Verde (NW-3), outlasting the Panthers, 1-0, in nine innings. Dani Delgado bunted her way on base to lead off and scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Shannon Crisp and Renee Dipuccio faced off in a great pitchers' duel, with Crisp and her 16 strikeouts prevailing.
"We are the most fortunate team in the city to have Shannon as our pitcher," Centennial coach Cyndi Castro said.
In today's Sunset winners' final, the Bulldogs face Southwest top seed Sierra Vista, a 3-2 Thursday winner against Cimarron-Memorial (NW-2). The Bulldogs and the Lions qualified for state with Thursday's wins.
Cimarron faces Bonanza (SW-2) and Palo Verde takes on Bishop Gorman (SW-3) in Sunset elimination games today.
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