Corona del Sol pitcher Emma Brinka and Highland hurler Morgan Schmidt were good pitchers in spring of 2019. They still are in 2021.

Brinka, then a sophomore, was a first-team selection as a pitcher in the 6A Central Region in 2019. Schmidt, also a sophomore then, was a second-team selection. With their high school careers resumed in the last week after COVID cancelled 2020, they locked up on an overcast Tuesday afternoon in a solid duel. The final linescore was nearly even, but Brinka and the Aztecs were on the victorious end of a 3-1 contest at Corona del Sol HS. Corona del Sol improved to 4-1 overall and is  2-0 in region play. Highland is 2-2, 1-1.

"It was an excellent game, well played by both sides," Highland coach Brian Schmidt said. "Corona has a great team. I'm glad we've gotten to play some good teams early. It's a benchmark to get a good idea where we're at. Pitching good, defense good and both teams put the ball in play often against the good pitching."

Both pitchers threw a complete game. Brinka (3-0) allowed six hits, one run, walked one and struck out four.  All the hits she surrendered came in the second through fourth innings. She retired 10 of the final 12 batters faced. Schmidt also gave up five hits, three runs (two earned), walked three and struck out six. Her undoing was the first inning - the first three batters who teamed up to give Corona a 2-0 lead.

Corona' del Sol's hitting standout was leadoff hitter Ari Tammaro. Tammaro was 2 for 3, scored a run and drove in a run. Her single in the first was followed by a triple from shortstop Tristin Jamir. Jamir scored when No. 3 hitter Bella Cummins plated her with ground out to second. The Aztecs added their third run in the second. Mia Rodriguez's hustle on a bobbled grounder to begin Corona's second inning saw her reach safely. Rodriguez scored on Tammaro's two-out triple. 

Highland scored its run in the fourth. A leadoff single by Brookelyn Ross (2-3 for the game) and a two-out double to left by catcher Makayla Kantarze accounted for the run.

"I'm happy we jumped out with runs early," Corona del Sol's first-year head coach Sean Thornton said. "We put the ball in a play and a lot were hit right out people. When you have a strong pitching it gives you confidence when you get the lead early. I feel our defense is solid and is going to back the pitching like it did today."

The routine plays were all made save one. The game's top defensive plays were turned in by the Aztecs. Jamir made a diving, awkward stab of a soft infield pop up between short and third in second inning. She aggravated a finger injury on the play, was replaced and did not return. Right fielder Teagan Neumann took a hit from Highland's Sienna Solis in the fifth. Solis rocked a sharp liner to right that normally would have been a hit. Neumann corraled it quickly and fired to first for the 9-3 putout. Neumann came close to doing it twice in the game.