Palo Verde softball pitcher Ava Koenig didn’t have the best day in the circle. She gave up six runs in the third inning, causing the Panthers to face an early five-run deficit.

But Koenig came through at the plate to help her team stage a comeback.

She drove in two runs in the sixth inning, then hit an RBI single in the seventh to help Palo Verde, No. 1 in the Review-Journal’s Class 5A rankings, rally for an 11-9 road win at No. 2 Shadow Ridge on Monday.

“I didn’t have my best day today, but we pushed through,” Koenig said. “Haley Kearnes came in and did a really good job. “I’m not going to have my best days all days, but I’m going to help my teammates (at the plate) if I can’t do it (in the circle).”

Kearnes’ pitching and hitting helped Palo Verde (8-0, 1-0 5A Mountain League) stay perfect. She relieved Koenig in the third and didn’t give up a run to Shadow Ridge (8-2, 0-1) over the final four innings to earn the win.

Kearnes, before Koenig’s hit in the seventh, doubled down the left field line with two outs to bring home Taylor Johns and give the Panthers the lead.

“I was just really determined to work for my team and produce for my team,” Kearnes said. “I was just really pumped for myself and relieved that I got a hit and was able to keep the rally going.”

Palo Verde trailed 9-7 entering the top of the seventh inning. Its rally started when Ava Cruz scored after Shadow Ridge had trouble fielding a Makayla Enriquez single.

Johns, a Georgia commit, doubled to score Enriquez and tie the game. Kearnes then put the Panthers ahead and Koenig brought home an insurance run.

“I’m excited and happy for my team,” Kearnes said. “We all worked together and worked for each other. Some of us were hurt, so some of us had to step in and we all worked very good as a team. I’m just feeling very happy.”

Kearnes went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, a walk and a run scored. Her RBI double in the third put Palo Verde up 4-3 after Shadow Ridge scored three runs in the second inning.

The Mustangs then almost put the game out of reach in the third. Madison Foster blasted a three-run homer to center field and Aleana Aionaaka drove in three runs with a triple to give Shadow Ridge a 9-4 lead.

Kearnes buckled down in the circle after that. She allowed three hits and two walks over the final four innings to keep the Mustangs’ bats quiet.

“This win says a lot,” Kearnes said. “It says that we know we can come back from any score. We can dig deep and we know how to play. We’ll keep up the good work.”

Koenig finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and her two-run single in the sixth inning helped Palo Verde start to claw back. Johns went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored. All nine Palo Verde batters recorded hits and the team finished with 21 on the day.

Panthers coach Kelly Glass said in a postgame team huddle it was one of the greatest games she’s ever been a part of in her 19 years of coaching.

Glass “believes in us and she knew that we could dig deep from the bottom and work as a team to come back and rally like we knew we could,” Kearnes said.

Foster finished 2-for-3 with the home run and a double.

Contact Alex Wright at [email protected]. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.