The first matchup of Hamilton softball coach Rocky Parra and his daughter, Casteel coach Jessica Parra-Bonilla was a topsy-turvy contest sans the crisp pitching the Parra family is known for in Arizona softball annuls.

In the end it was a perfect day at the plate by Hamilton's Kate Vance that turned the tide as the 6A Huskies topped 5A Casteel, 9-6, at Hamilton High.

Vance, a freshman, was 4 for 4 with a single, double and two home runs. Vance drove in six runs and her second homer in the sixth was a three-run shot giving Hamilton the lead for good at 8-6. Hamilton outhit Casteel, 13-6. Thirteen of 19 hits were for extra bases and five were home runs. Vance now has seven home runs and 18 RBI in 11 games.

Hamilton, which has battled through injuries and other health issues, has won three games in a row and is above .500 at 6-5 for the first time this season. Casteel saw an eight-game winning streak halted. The Colts are 8-2 and one of the top teams in 5A.

The game's back and forth made for a memorable, competitive battle for father and daughter with the lead changing hands three times in the final three innings.

"The game was fun for me," Parra-Bonilla said. "A lot of people were talking to me before the game. I don't know if they were trying to make me nervous. I've found from my dad you either win or you learn. It was OK learning from him today."

Rocky Parra coached strictly from the dugout while Jessica set up as third base coach when Casteel batted. They had conversations as Casteel batted since Hamilton's dugout is along third base.

"I was looking in the stands and told Jess when her mom got here," Rocky Parra said of one the interactions along third between them. "My wife was wearing some Hamilton and some Casteel. She was pulling for whoever was at bat, so she went back and forth.

"It was one game. One we both wanted to win. After it's over, it's over. They have a good team and are going to continue to do well. We're getting healthier and are finally over .500. We're getting on track."

Casteel coach Jessica Parra-Bonilla and Hamilton coach Rocky Parra exchange lineups in pregame. (Azpreps365 photo)

Casteel built a 3-0 lead after batting in the top of the third. A pair of solo homers in the frame were from Reagan Terwilliger and Jenna Kobernick. Hamilton pulled within 3-2 in the last of the third on Vance's first homer of the day, a two-run blast. Hamilton took its first lead (5-3) in the fourth via a two-run double by Bella Angelo and RBI single by Vance.

Casteel answered with three in the fifth. The Colts were one strike away from going down in order, but Sage VanDeMark was hit by a pitch. Melia Hecht doubled for an RBI and Kobernick drilled her second homer of the game for a 6-5 Colts' lead.

Hamilton's winning four-run rally in the sixth, besides Vance's second home run, consisted of two doubles, two singles and a walk.  The other RBI was an RBI single by Quinn-Salazar-Stewart.

Winning pitcher Allison Weyandt yielded a leadoff double in the seventh, but secured the final three outs on two pop ups and a ground out. 

Also enjoying multiple-hit games for Hamilton were Liv Lostorto (2-4, both doubles) and Bella Clapp (3-4, all infield singles).