Sierra Vista earns first regional softball title

Nick Christensen

Monday, May 16, 2005 | 9:10 a.m.

All games at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park in Henderson

Friday

5 p.m.

Las Vegas (1-Sunrise) vs. McQueen (1-North)

Sierra Vista (1-Sunset) vs. Silverado (2-Sunrise)

7 p.m.

Losers of 5 p.m. games

Winners of 5 p.m. games

Saturday

10 a.m.

Winner of 7 p.m. one-loss game vs. loser of 7 p.m. no-loss game

12 p.m.

State championship

2 p.m.

"If Game"

Friday's Sunset Region softball championship was a microcosm of the entire season for Sierra Vista.

The Mountain Lions were counted out early but hung in just long enough to come strong late and eke out a 7-6 victory against Cimarron-Memorial to claim the school's first regional softball crown.

Cimarron, led by pitcher Kelsey McCoy, initially took a 4-0 lead in Friday's contest -- and in a pitching-dominated tournament, that seemed insurmountable.

But so did Sierra Vista's third seed in a very competitive Sunset Region field. Still, the Mountain Lions survived to become the only undefeated team in the Sunset tournament.

Without a loss but down four runs in the title game of a double-elimination tournament? No sweat.

"We took it one run at a time," Sierra Vista coach Jerome Streets said. "Kylee (Kissane) hit a ball hot, we strung some base hits together in the fifth, they got up and came back in the top of the seventh. We were able to get some runners on base with Stacey (Burgos) and Kylee, and they played percentages and walked Rebecca."

Up next, Deborah Haley hit an RBI single to bring home the championship-winning run.

The Mountain Lions will open the state tournament against Silverado, the fourth seed yet the prohibitive favorite heading into Friday's first games.

The Skyhawks, perennially the east side's top softball power, lost to Las Vegas High on Thursday and needed to win three games in a row Friday to claim yet another Sunrise Region crown.

Silverado dispatched Coronado 4-0 to make it to the Sunrise championship game, but with Vegas undefeated in the tournament, the Skyhawks still needed to beat the Wildcats twice for an automatic state berth.

After Silverado ace Kelly Griego blanked the Cougars in seven innings, coach Steve Hodges opted to start understudy Jessie Rivas in the second game. Rivas was only able to get one out in the bottom of the first before Caroline Fernandez's bases-loaded double to right brought home the only runs the Wildcats needed that night. Vegas went on to win the title game, 4-1.

"Under the circumstances we were faced with, I'll take it," Hodges said. "Our ultimate goal is to be playing next week. I wasn't going to pitch (Griego) 21 innings that day. What happens if I pitch her 21 innings and she loses the second game? Then I've got to play Cimarron the next day."

Hodges said Griego's velocity did drop in Saturday morning's play-in game, but it was enough to give the Skyhawks a 1-0 victory.

"It's just one of those things where we met our ultimate goal," Hodges said. "Rather than going ahead and winning region, the most important thing was that we got in and saved our pitcher and got five extra days to get her rested up."

After the wear and tear of playing six games in five days, Hodges gave his team a break to get ready for the weekend.

Meanwhile, the week has given the Wildcats a whole new level of confidence, coach Kevin Jones said.

"I don't think our girls are intimidated," Jones said. "As we walked into the playoffs, we didn't know how good we were. Now we've gotten so much confidence with Silverado that they can hang with and beat anybody."

Vegas opens against McQueen on Friday.

Needles, which hosted the 2A South tournament, came back to defeat White Pine 3-1 in the second game of Saturday's championship to take the 2A South title. Needles will open with Pershing County and White Pine will play 2A North champion Battle Mountain in Friday's first-round games of the 2A state tournament at The Meadows School in Summerlin.

Las Vegas' Mountain View Christian School took the 1A South title in a tournament it hosted at its East Bonanza campus. The Saints beat Tonopah 6-5 to win the 1A South title. At this Friday's 1A state tournament at Moapa Valley High School in Overton, Mountain View will open against Carlin and Tonopah will face 1A North champion Coleville.