Sunnyside Little League’s Camila Vargas hit two triples and starting pitcher Camryn Moraga scattered six hits over five innings and produced two RBIs to lead their team to a 7-2 win Thursday over host Queen Creek in the Arizona Little League State Majors Tournament.
The victory places Sunnyside (3-0 in the tournament) into the winner’s bracket final against Cave Creek Cactus Foothills on Friday at 5:45 p.m. at Queen Creek’s Desert Mountain Park.
Cactus Foothills is also 3-0 and has outscored its opponents 36-0 to this point, including a 10-0 win over Phoenix Arcadia on Thursday.
The Sunnyside-Cactus Foothills winner advances to the championship on Wednesday. The loser will play in the elimination-bracket final Tuesday.
After Queen Creek took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on Thursday, Sunnyside rallied for two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good.
Anyssa Pacho led off the inning with a single and scored when Vargas hit her first triple. Moraga then singled in Vargas.
Sunnyside scored three more runs in the third highlighted by another RBI triple by Vargas. Aviana Lopez, who walked with one out, scored on an error from a fielder’s choice play off the bat of Pacho. Vargas then knocked in Pacho in with a triple. Moraga followed with a ground out that scored Vargas to give Sunnyside a 5-1 lead.
Aggressive baserunning by Vargas and Moraga led to them scoring in the fifth inning to give Sunnyside a 7-1 cushion. Both walked and their stolen base attempts forced errant plays to stop them.
Vargas finished with three runs and Pacho two. Carissa Palomarez, Alexa Cirerol and Alyna Ybarra also tallied hits.
Marana 19, Miami Pinal Mountain 1
Marana, the District 5 champion, stayed alive in with the victory over with Kyla Layton going 3 for 3 with three RBIs and Addi Angeli finishing 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs. Malia Mills was the winning pitcher striking out eight batters in three innings.
Marana (1-1 in the tournament) faces Flagstaff Continental in an elimination-bracket game today at 6:30 p.m.
San Pedro Valley 14, Casa Grande 1
San Pedro Valley, the District 8 champion from the Benson/St. David area, also won an elimination-bracket game on Thursday against Casa Grande.
Emelynn Jacquez went 3 for 4 with two doubles and four RBIs and Paisley Gooding finished 2 for 3 with three runs and three RBIs to lead San Pedro Valley.
They also combined to limit Casa Grande to two hits in four innings in the circle. Gooding struck out nine and walked three in three innings while Jacquez pitched a hitless fourth inning striking out the side with one walk.
San Pedro Valley (2-1) will look to stay alive in a game with Blythe (Calif.) tonight at 7:45.
ARIZONA LITTLE LEAGUE STATE MAJORS TOURNAMENT
Queen Creek — Desert Mountain Park
e-elimination bracket game
Thursday, July 8
e-G11: Blythe (Calif.) 5, Four Peaks 4
e-G12: Continental 4, Goodyear 2
e-G13: Marana 19, Pinal Mountain 1
e-G14: San Pedro Valley 14, Casa Grande 1
G15: Cactus Foothills 10, Arcadia 0
G16: Sunnyside 7, Queen Creek 2
Friday, July 9
e-G17: Blythe (Calif.) vs. San Pedro Valley, 7:45 p.m.
e-G18: Continental vs. Marana, 6:30 p.m.
G21: Cactus Foothills vs. Sunnyside, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday, July 10
e-G19: G17 winner vs. Queen Creek, 6:30 p.m.
e-G20: G18 winner vs. Arcadia, 6:30 p.m.
Monday, July 12
e-G22: G19 winner vs. G20 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 13
e-G23: G22 winner vs. G21 loser, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 14
G24: Championship — G21 winner vs. G23 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 15
G25: Championship — if G23 winner wins G24, 6:30 p.m.
Recommended for you
