Katie Stracco celebrates with her dugout after her game-winning RBI. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365.com)

 

Canyon del Oro beat Sahuaro 2-0 on Tuesday in the regular season opener for the Dorados. Canyon del Oro is now 8-1 on the year with the one loss coming to O’Connor in the championship game of the Dorado Classic held last week.  

Sahuaro (8-2) is now 2-1 in power-point games with wins over Catalina Foothills and Rincon/University.

Senior standout Mikayla Santa Cruz took the circle for the Dorados and she picked up seven strikeouts in the win. “I had fun out there, knowing my team had my back,” the Arizona State commit said. “Anya (Gonzalez) made some great plays behind me and Katie (Stracco) made a great catch in the outfield.”

Santa Cruz hit a lead-off double in the bottom of the second to help her cause. Kirsten Garcia came in to run for her and Stephanie Cota moved Garcia over to third on a groundout. Stracco delivered on an RBI single to give the Dorados a 1-0 lead.

The Cougars threatened to tie the game up in the top of fourth after Cassidy Morrow hit a one-out double and moved to third on a passed ball. Danielle Jamieson followed with an infield hit to put two on. Brianna Jackson followed with a hard grounder to short and Gonzalez made the unconventional throw to home to erase the run rather than a simple toss to first base. AJ Kaiser applied the tag at home and Santa Cruz picked up a strikeout to end the threat.

Kaiser hit a double off the wall in the first inning and a solo shot in the fifth to put the Dorados up 2-0.

Sophomore Kayley Johnson threw the distance for Sahuaro. Morrow went 2-for-3 as did Jameison. Stracco and Kaiser both went 2-3 with an RBI for Canyon del Oro.

Canyon del Oro won the 4A state title last year and Sahuaro was the 5A runner-up.