Marana was down by three runs Saturday night entering the bottom of the fifth inning in what was a see-saw battle with pesky Continental Ranch, whose win Friday night forced a deciding game for the District 5 8-10 softball championship at Ora Mae Park in Marana.
Marana prevailed 10-9 behind a four-run rally in the fifth and the pitching of Audree Hoffman late. It moves on to the state tournament that begins July 8 at Avondale.
Marana rallies to beat Continental Ranch 10-9 to win the District 5 8-10 softball title. Audree Hoffman pitches a strikeout to end the game. Marana heads to the state tournament in Avondale starting July 8. pic.twitter.com/k9C3QAwzU6
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 25, 2023
“These girls have no quit,” Marana coach Todd McGee said. “They practice hard all the time. They believe in each other. Everybody knows that they have a role.
“We talked about it the last couple of weeks that it’s going to be somebody’s time. When it’s called upon, step up and do it, and they did it tonight.”
Infielder Schae Johnson and relief pitcher Audree Hoffman took that cue.
One of Marana’s top players in its District 5 8-10 softball championship was 3B/SS Schae Johnson, who went 3 for 3 with two runs and four RBIs. Her two-run single was part of Marana’s four-run rally in the fifth that put her team ahead in the 10-9 win over Continental Ranch. pic.twitter.com/AfHOCJn5SH
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 25, 2023
Schae’s two-run single was part of Marana’s four-run rally that enabled the team to take the 10-9 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
Hoffman struck out five batters in her last two innings of work, including the last three batters of the game after Continental Ranch’s Gwynne Dickens walked to lead off the last inning (the sixth), moved to second on a passed ball and stole third base.
Marana pitcher Audree Hoffman struck out five batters in last two innings, including the last three batters in the sixth to lift her team to a 10-9 win over Continental Ranch for the District 5 8-10 softball championship. Marana in state tournament at Avondale starting July 8. pic.twitter.com/qMC2rZadK7
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 25, 2023
“I felt like it was unbelievable,” Hoffman said when the umpire called strike three on the last batter. “I kind of felt we were going to lose at the time (trailing 9-6). I didn’t think that that I’d be the one who made us win.”
Marana went 3-0, including a win over Continental Ranch, to reach the championship round. In those three games, it outscored the opposition 59-15.
Continental Ranch’s 11-6 win Friday turned the tide and its two runs in the top of the fifth Saturday allowed it to take a 9-6 lead.
Marana coach Todd McGee continues his run of coaching his kids to the LL state tournament. Did it with oldest daughter Brynlee & last year with his son Blaine. Kinslee McGee is with the Marana 8-10 softball team that won the District 5 title and advanced to the state tournament. pic.twitter.com/MlmqGMwasI
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 25, 2023
Marana scored its four runs with two outs in the fifth.
With one out, Parker Mahaffey and Kinslee McGee (the coach’s daughter) hit singles before Continental Ranch’s Hermoine Luce threw her 10th strikeout of the game.
Johnson followed with her two-run single scoring Mahaffey and McGee and Cambree Brown reached on an error. Johnson and Brown were able to come home because of errors and a wild pitch.
“We all support each other,” said Johnson, who was 3 for 3 with two runs and four RBIs, a double and a stolen base.
Mahaffey finished 2 for 3 with two runs and Hoffman, Brown and Irelyn Watson each had an RBI. Brown produced an RBI double.
Luce led Continental Ranch going 2 for 2 with a run and RBI in addition to her complete-game performance in the circle.
Sienna Pena, Tatum Schoenleben and Dickens each knocked in a run. Pena had a hit and finished with three runs and leadoff batter Cataleya Kirkland had a hit and two runs.
In District 12, San Xavier beat Los Ninos in two games, capped by Saturday’s 11-0 win, to capture the title and move on to the state tournament that is in Winslow starting July 8.
SATURDAY, JUNE 24
D-5: 8-10 BASEBALL CROSSROADS
CDO 12, Thornydale 1 (Elimination)
Continental Ranch 11, Oro Valley 1
D-5: 8-10 SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL ORA MAE
Marana 10, Continental Ranch 9
D-5: 9-11 BASEBALL MEHL
Continental Ranch 26, Flowing Wells 12 (Elimination)
Oro Valley 25, Thornydale 15 (Consolation)
Canyon View 16, Tucson Mountain 1
D-12: 9-11 BASEBALL LAWRENCE
Copper Hills 20, SW Foothills 1
Rincon 11, San Xavier 3
D-5 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL ARTHUR PACK
Sabino Canyon 11, Tucson Mountain 6 (Consolation)
CDO 13, Western 1 (Consolation)
D-5: 50/70 BASEBALL CROSSROADS
Tucson Mountain 7, Flowing Wells 6
Continental Ranch 18, Thornydale 5
D-12: JUNIOR BASEBALL LAWRENCE
SW Foothills 13, San Xavier 12
Randolph 3, Cactus 0
D-12: SENIOR BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL MANZANITA
San Xavier 11, Los Ninos 0
D-12: LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL LAWRENCE
Copper Hills 9, Sunnyside 4
D-12: 8-10 SOFTBALL MANZANITA
Copper Hills 19, Rincon 2 (Elimination)
SUNDAY, JUNE 25
D-5: 50/70 BASEBALL CROSSROADS
Western vs. Tucson Mountain, 5 p.m.
Thornydale vs. Flowing Wells, 7:30 p.m. (Elimination)
MONDAY, JUNE 26
D-5: 8-10 BASEBALL CROSSROADS
Sabino Canyon vs. Tucson Mountain 1, 5 p.m. (Consolation)
Oro Valley vs. CDO, 7:30 p.m. (Elimination)
D-5: 9-11 BASEBALL MEHL
Oro Valley vs. Western, 5 p.m. (Consolation)
Tucson Mountain vs. Continental Ranch, 7:30 p.m. (Elimination)
D-5: LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL ORA MAE
Continental Ranch vs. Marana, 5 p.m.
Thornydale vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. (Elimination)
D-5 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL ARTHUR PACK
Sabino Canyon vs. CDO, 5 p.m. (Consolation)
Thornydale vs. Marana, 7:30 p.m. (Elimination)
D-5: 50/70 BASEBALL CROSSROADS
Continental Ranch vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m.
D-12: 9-11 BASEBALL LAWRENCE
SW Foothills vs. Cactus, 6:30 p.m. (Elimination)
D-12: LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL LAWRENCE
San Xavier vs. Sunnyside, 6:30 p.m. (Elimination)
D-12: 8-10 SOFTBALL MANZANITA
San Xavier vs. Sunnyside, 5:15 p.m.
Copper Hills vs. SW Foothills, 7:45 p.m. (Elimination)
TUESDAY, JUNE 27
D-5: 8-10 BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND CROSSROADS
Continental Ranch vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m.
D-5: 9-11 BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND MEHL
Canyon View vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m.
D-5 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND ARTHUR PACK
Canyon View vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m.
D-12 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
Sunnyside vs. Cactus, 5:15 p.m. (Manzanita)
Empire vs. Copper Hills, 5:15 p.m. (Lawrence)
San Xavier vs. Rincon, 7:45 p.m. (Manzanita)
Los Ninos vs. Randolph, 7:45 p.m. (Lawrence)
D-12: JUNIOR BASEBALL LAWRENCE
SW Foothills vs. Randolph, 5 p.m.
San Xavier vs. Cactus, 7:30 p.m. (Elimination)
D-12: LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND LAWRENCE
Copper Hills vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28
D-12: 8-10 BASEBALL MANZANITA
Empire vs. Cactus, 5:15 p.m.
Copper Hills vs. SW Foothills, 5:15 p.m.
Rincon vs. Los Ninos, 7:45 p.m.
Sunnyside vs. San Xavier, 7:45 p.m.
D-12: 9-11 BASEBALL LAWRENCE
Copper Hills vs. Rincon, 5:15 p.m.
San Xavier vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m. (Elimination)
DISTRICT 12 50/70 CHAMPIONS — SUNNYSIDE
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