Softball


Watching Highland pitcher Arianna Ashcraft pitch one notices nothing out of the ordinary. Dig deeper and you come to find she is not your ordinary pticher. Not when she pitches with two rods and 26 screws in her spine, there to correct scoliosis (curviture of the spine).

Highland softball coach Jamie Waldron figured after a couple weeks of the season if the Hawks were to make some noise this season it would have to be with hitting and defense. That was the formula Thursday night as the Hawks used timely hitting, plate discipline and defense to upend Dobson, 11-7, in a 5A Central Region game at Highland High.

A pitcher who did not feel good pitched lights out. A power hitter who set the table rather than drive in runs. And a cleanup hitter that delivered what her role requires. Perry used those contributions Friday to put a stranglehold on the lead in the 5A East Valley Region softball race by defeating Skyline, 6-0, at Skyline High School.

The top four teams in the 5A Central Region softball race are not separated by much. And when Gilbert (4-1), Mesa Mountain View (3-2), Dobson (2-1) and Basha (2-1) have played one another the margin of error has been thin for the most part. Nothing changed in that regard Tuesday afternoon as Gilbert used a pair of two-run homers to beat Mountain View, 5-2, in a clash of teams tied for first in the region at Gilbert High.

Mesquite softball coach Jeff Shufelt has seen his team surrender bushel baskets of runs lately (39 in its last three defeats) and battle the loss of a couple key players (Ayssa Vargas and Katie Greco) to injury. The Wildcats, however, were definitely battlers Monday afternoon, coming back from two-run deficits early and late to subdue Perry High, 7-6, in a 5A non-region game at Mesquite.