I-A SOFTBALL: Michaela Hood fans 12 as Spring Valley beats Boulder City

Boulder City’s softball team earned a pair of emotional wins on Friday to earn a berth in next week’s Division I-A state tournament.

But the Eagles couldn’t get past Spring Valley ace Michaela Hood on Saturday.

Hood threw a four-hitter and retired 19 consecutive batters at one point to lead the Grizzlies to a 3-2 win in the Division I-A Southern Region title game at Boulder City.

Both teams qualify for the state tournament, which begins next week in Reno.

“I can’t say enough about the way she (Hood) pitched,” said Spring Valley coach Kelsey McCoy, who coached the team while head coach Caroline Saenz had a baby. “Michaela has grown each year, and now she’s a leader. This team believes in each other and plays with so much confidence.”

The Eagles (29-9) erased a three-run deficit against Sierra Vista on Friday, and tried their comeback magic again Saturday with Spring Valley (25-3) leading 3-0.

Hood struck out Kylee Hamel to open the seventh, but walked Marleena Mills and yielded a single to Charlene Masterson. Lily Osman followed with a double off the center-field wall, allowing Mills to score. After a walk to Jerra Hinson, Micayla Gegen grounded to first, scoring Masterson to cut the lead to 3-2.

But Hood got Bailey Bennett-Jordan to fly out to right to end the game.

Hood struck out 12 and walked three in winning her 15th straight decision. Hood allowed a single to Hamel to open the game, and Jeanne Carmell reached on an error — the only Boulder City base runners until the seventh.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” McCoy said. “It’s hard to put into words what’s going through my mind right now. This team came to work each day wanting to get better and better.”

Raven Bierlein’s two-run single in the first inning gave Spring Valley a 2-0 lead. The Grizzlies pushed the lead to three in the fourth, as a groundout from Marlena Adras brought home Madison Hood.

Bennett-Jordan, making her first start in more than two weeks, scattered six hits and struck out five.

Madison Hood had two hits for Spring Valley.