SUNSET SOFTBALL: Gorman loses huge lead, but overcomes Arbor View

Kevin Smith doesn’t look the part of a heavyweight boxer.

But the slender Bishop Gorman softball coach certainly felt as though he had been through a 12-round championship bout Tuesday.

Smith watched his Gaels cough up a six-run lead in the second inning, allow 20 hits, commit six errors and still somehow outslug host Arbor View 18-16 in the opening round of the Division I Sunset Region playoffs.

“It was a battle,” said Smith. “It was just one of those games. Every hit seemed to drop, and they’re a good hitting bunch.”

The fifth-seeded Gaels (18-15-1) appeared to have things well in hand when they scored six runs to take an 8-2 lead in the middle of the second inning.

Arbor View (17-13-1) battled back with nine runs in the bottom of the second to take an 11-8 lead, yet the fun was just beginning.

Gorman went back on top 14-12 with a four-run fifth inning, and fourth-seeded Arbor View responded with two runs after two were out in the fifth to tie the game.

Ashley Witucki’s RBI single keyed a four-run sixth and gave the Gaels the lead for good.

“The way we bounced back showed a lot of heart, a lot of grit by these girls,” Smith said.

Arbor View again tried to rally in the sixth, scoring twice and having two runners on with two outs when Gorman right fielder Hannah Gondini made a wonderful running catch in the right-center-field gap to end the frame.

“That was a huge, huge play,” Smith said. “We work on that a lot, opening up and tracking down balls, and she made a huge play.”

Arbor View’s Cierra Mikaelsen led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield hit, but Gorman reliever Samantha Stanfill started a 1-6-3 double play, and then got Taylor Beaman to ground out to end the 2 hour, 54 minute, marathon.

Megan Coyle was 3-for-4 with four RBIs, and Monique Passalacqua went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs for the Gaels, who will visit Shadow Ridge (27-5) in a winners’ bracket semifinal at 3:30 p.m. today.

“We’ll go over to Shadow Ridge tomorrow and fight tooth and nail again and just see what happens,” Smith said.

Terren Vinson was 4-for-5 with three RBIs, and Kellie Anderson, Adriana Thomason, Mikaelsen and Beaman each added three hits for the Aggies, who host Cimarron-Memorial (7-15) in an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. today.

Shadow Ridge 23, Cimarron-Memorial 0 — At Shadow Ridge, Mia Voges spun a one-hitter, and Samantha Milanovich had a three-run home run as part of an 11-run third inning as the Mustangs routed the Spartans in five innings.

Alisha Schultz and Maddie Wills each went 2-for-2, and Caitlyn Covington finished 2-for-3 for Shadow Ridge, which scored nine runs in the first inning.

Diona Whitley had Cimarron’s lone single.

Centennial 10, Desert Oasis 0 — At Centennial, Lina Barrera was 3-for-3 with a grand slam and five RBIs to help the Bulldogs top the Diamondbacks in five innings.

Deanna Barrera tossed a four-hitter and struck out five for Centennial (24-11), which visits Palo Verde (27-6-1) in a winners’ bracket semifinal at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Brianna Benoit and Makenzie Ball each went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Centennial.

Desert Oasis (20-15) will host Legacy (16-13) in an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Palo Verde 5, Legacy 1 — At Palo Verde, Taylor Askland tossed a three-hitter, and teammate Makall Whetten was 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs as the Panthers defeated the Longhorns.

Cara Beatty went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Camden Zahn added an RBI single for Palo Verde, which used a three-run third inning to pull away.

Amanda Sink had an RBI single to pace Legacy.