Typically, teams like Salpointe use the Dorado Classic as a primer for the season, but the snow cancelled the longstanding tournament last week so the freshmen were thrown into a battle with a power-hitting team and they ultimately came out on top over Tucson, 9-8, despite giving up five home runs.

Tucson (0-2) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a misplayed bunt from Marina Chacon with one out, followed by a single from Arizona commit Carlie Scupin. Alyssa Trejo (UNLV) brought in Chacon and Scupin on a single of her own but Alyssa Aguilar induced a double play to get out of the inning.

The Lancers answered with five runs in the bottom half of the inning, all with two outs. Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage reached on a fielder’s choice and Diana Montano singled to keep the inning alive and then Kim McDaniels picked up an RBI to cut the lead down to 2-1. A passed ball tied the game and then Alyssa Delgado drew a walk to put two on for Kat Payne. Payne delivered on a 3-run shot and the Lancers went to the second with a 5-2 lead.

Alyssa Carpio hit a leadoff homer to cut the lead down to 5-3 and Mari Castro followed with a double but Aguilar-Beaucage got three straight outs to end another threat. The Lancers tacked on two more in the bottom of the second on a rare infield double.

(Tucson head coach Bert Otero congratulates Kelli Samorano ona  home run. Otero came out of retirent to coach the Badgers/Andy Morales/AZPreps365.com)

Malaea Rocha (Utah State) reached on an infield hit with one out and then Logan Cole singled to center but an error on the play allowed Rocha to score and Cole moved over to third. Ana Rodriguez picked up an out to keep Cole at third but Montano hit a short pop fly that was just out of reach of the Badger infield and the ball rolled away from the defenders, bringing in one run. Montano went to second on the hit and then to third on the ensuing confusion at home. McDaniels lined out to center for the third out.

The Badgers slowly chipped away at the 7-3 lead on solo home runs from Chacon and Kelli Samorano in the third and an RBI single from Chacon in the fourth to make it 7-6 Salpointe. Ana Rodriguez hit a 2-out shot to tie things up 7-7 in the top of the fifth and then a double from Cerina Barajas, an error and a walk loaded the bases.

Aguilar-Beaucage gave way to Julia Holt in the third inning but Aguilar-Beaucage returned to the circle in the bases loaded situation to face Scupin. Aguilar-Beaucage escaped from another big inning on a pop fly and the Lancers survived with the 7-7 tie intact.

Rodriguez shut down nine Lancers in a row and 12-of-13 batters and Trejo put Tucson up 8-7 on another home run in the top of the sixth but Salpointe came alive in the bottom of the sixth with two outs. Yannixa Acuna beat out an infield hit with two outs and then Rocha hit a home run to put Salpointe back up 9-8. The Badgers stranded a runner at second in the top of the 7th and the Lancers held on for the win.

Rocha and Montano are the two remaining seniors on the Lancer roster so a lot is expected from the leaders.

“We have a lot of new people on our team and we are embracing them,” Rocha said. “Our goal is to make it back to state despite being so young and tonight we showed we still have a lot of fight and we never stopped until the last pitch.”

Things don’t get an easier for the Badgers with a trip to Ironwood Ridge (2-0) scheduled for Friday and Salpointe is visiting Sunnyside (2-0) that same night.

( Alyssa Aguilar picked up the win for the Lancers/Andy Morales/AZPreps365.com)