Anyone who didn’t understand the importance of the Palo Verde softball team’s 8-5 win over Centennial on Thursday just needed to listen to the team’s postgame celebration.
“We’re going to state!” the players yelled in unison after taking some photos.
The Panthers (21-0), the Mountain League champions, slammed four extra-base hits and got a strong pitching performance from junior Ava Koenig to claim the home victory and advance to the Class 5A Southern Region title game Saturday.
Palo Verde also secured a berth in next week’s state tournament at UNR.
“We’re super excited,” said junior shortstop Taylor Johns, who drove in four runs. “I feel like this year we have kind of the best chance. We all collectively really, really want this, especially for the seniors that have been here for the other two years that we’ve gone to state. So we’re all super excited.”
Centennial (17-12), the Mountain’s No. 2 seed, falls into the tournament’s losers’ bracket. Shadow Ridge plays Arbor View at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Centennial, with the winner of that game playing the Bulldogs at 4 p.m. for a spot in the region title game and a berth at state.
Johns got things going early for Palo Verde, lining a two-run triple into the left-field corner in the bottom of the first to plate the game’s first runs. Mya Bartlett followed with an RBI triple into the right-field corner, and the Panthers led 3-0.
Koenig, who struck out the side in the top of the first, said the early runs helped her confidence.
“Honestly, it felt really good to get some cushion,” Koenig said. “The first time we played them it was a little bit tighter game, so it’s really good, and it’s nice to get ahead like that.”
Koenig pitched five innings, striking out nine, mainly with her strong riseball. She allowed three runs on four hits and walked three.
“I started to try to work other pitches, but came back with it, and it ended up working pretty well,” Koenig said of her riseball. “And then Haley Kearnes came in and did a really good job.”
Kearnes pitched the final two innings. She allowed a pair of runs in the sixth, but struck out Abby Estrada looking with a runner at second to end the inning. Kearnes then worked around an error in a hitless seventh.
Johns finished 2-for-2. She added a sacrifice fly in the second and led off the fifth with a solo home run to right-center field. Kayleen Enriquez went 2-for-3 with a run, and Bartlett was 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Johns said getting Friday off and having already earned the state trip should allow the team to relax as it hosts the region title game at 10 a.m. Saturday.
“It’s definitely a big relief knowing that our pitching staff is kind of small this year, but we’re definitely so excited and we’re not looking at the next game any differently,” Johns said. “We still want to win even though we’re already going to state. We’re looking at every game the same still.”
Sydnee Smith was 2-for-3 with a double and a two-run home run to lead Centennial.
