Facing elimination after losing to Copper Hills on Thursday night, Randolph rallied behind the pitching of Amairani Villela and hitting of Analee Allen in a 9-6 victory Friday night at Manzanita Park.
Game 3 of the District 12 Little League softball championship series is Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Manzanita Park. The winner advances to the state tournament at Cottonwood starting July 5.
Villela pitched a solid five innings on Friday night, scattering five hits with no earned runs. She had seven strikeouts and four walks.
Allen went 2 for 3 with a run and three RBIs.
“We came out ready to play,” Randolph manager Marcelino Ruiz said. “We had a good talk with the girls yesterday. We let them know either we’re going home after (Friday’s) game or we were going to play Saturday>
“They came out ready to play. They came out ready to swing their bats. They played a very good game and I’m proud of every single one of them.”
After losing 12-7 on Thursday night to Copper Hills, Randolph took an early lead with leadoff batter Kayla Robles getting hit by a pitch, steal second, moving to third on a walk and scoring on a bases-loaded walk.
Randolph increased the lead to 2-0 in the third inning when Robles walked, stole second and ran home following two errors.
Randolph first baseman Analee Allen went 2 for 3 with a run and three RBIs in her team’s 9-6 win over Copper Hills. The teams play in a final Game 3 tomorrow (6:30 p.m., Manzanita Park) to determine the District 12 Little League champion that will advance to the state tournament… pic.twitter.com/BhkDyEUMsU
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 29, 2024
A five-run fourth inning increased the lead to 7-0. Allen had an RBI single as part of the rally that included a single by Analiyah Salazar, four walks and three errors.
“She definitely came out ready to swing the bat,” Ruiz said of Allen. “When she sits there and she’s patient for us, she can definitely swing the bat. Not only is she good at hitting hitting the ball, she’s really good at first base. Nothing gets by her. She’s good.”
The run support in the fourth was more than enough for Villela, who at the plate had a single, two walks, stolen base and two runs.
Randolph pitcher Amairani Villela pitched a solid five innings, scattering five hits with no earned runs and seven strikeouts (four walks) in her team’s 9-6 win over Copper Hills in Game 2 of the best-of-three District 12 Little League softball championship series. The teams play… pic.twitter.com/otmMvH4VUG
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 29, 2024
Randolph held a 9-1 lead going into the bottom of fifth.
Copper Hills rallied for four runs at that time behind a double by Jordyn Jones, RBI single by Vynessa Felix, single by Zoe Zincke, a walk, hit-by-pitch and two errors.
Robles completed the game in the circle for Randolph in the bottom of the sixth inning, preventing a run although Copper Hills had runners on first and second with no outs to start the inning.
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