SUNRISE REGION: Medrano propels Foothill to second-round win in Sunrise

Foothill High’s Shelbie Medrano has long been known as a big-game player, so she took the field Wednesday eager to prove that reputation was legitimate.

Medrano successfully convinced the Silverado roster, tossing a two-hitter and hitting two home runs to help the Falcons roll to a 9-1 victory over the Skyhawks in the second round of the Sunrise Region softball tournament at Majestic Park.

Foothill remained unbeaten in the tourney and advanced to play Green Valley in today’s 6 p.m. semifinal.

“I was just 'on’ today,” said Medrano, whose first homer — a two-run blast — came in the fourth inning. “I just waited for my pitch. I knew (Las Vegas pitcher Katie Devlin) was going to throw one inside, and I knew it was gone as soon as I hit it.”

The homer gave the Falcons a 6-1 lead, though the outcome was never in doubt with Medrano’s outside slider silencing the Silverado offense from start to finish.

Foothill coach Tom Mayes said he expected a much tighter result.

“Every time we play them, we get a close game,” Mayes said. “So that’s what I figured was going to happen again today.”

Instead, the Falcons jumped on Devlin for four runs in the bottom of the first, thanks in part to Kylie Ishikawa’s three-run homer.

Medrano, whose only bad pitch was hit over the left-field fence by Silverado’s Mikayla Thielges in the fourth inning, muscled a three-run homer in the sixth after her team clearly had the game in hand.

“Shelbie has been our No. 1 pitcher,” said Mayes, whose ace recorded 13 strikeouts on the day. “And in games like this, we like to throw our best.”

Ishikawa also had three hits for Foothill, collecting three RBIs along the way.

Silverado will play Liberty in an elimination game today at 4 p.m.

Green Valley 4, Las Vegas 1 — Alicia Firelein tossed a three-hitter to help the Gators remain in the winners’ bracket with a victory over the Wildcats.

Carly Aughney went 2-for-3 to lead the Green Valley offense, which scored a run in the second and third innings before giving

Firelein some breathing room with a two-run fourth.

Nikki Diaz and Krizzle Galvez each doubled for Las Vegas.

The Wildcats will face Valley in an elimination game today at 4 p.m.

Valley 10, Eldorado 3 — Zoe Galindo went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a triple to help the Vikings eliminate the Sundevils.

Mickayla Romero went 3-for-3 for Valley, and Vanessa Corona capped the Vikings’ 11-hit attack with a three-run homer in the sixth inning.

Gabriella Trillo went 2-for-3 with a double to lead Eldorado, which helped Valley by committing four errors.

Liberty 11, Rancho 0 — Robin Lowery tossed a six-inning no-hitter to lead the Patriots past the Rams in the other elimination game.

Megan Patras went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a triple for Liberty, which took over with seven runs in the first three innings.

Teammate Breanna English went 2-for-2 with a double and a walk-off home run in the sixth. Lowery and Michelle Hall also homered for the Patriots.