Basha's Fritz fans 19, tosses 1-hitter

March 15, 2022 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Basha pitcher Natalie Fritz gets Red Mountain's Paige Wright (7) to commit on a pitch in the Bears' 3-0 victory over the Mountain Lions. (Azpreps365 photo)

Basha pitcher Natalie Fritz lost a no-hit bid late. There was plenty of consolation, however, as the sophomore fanned 19 and allowed only a late bunt single in leading the Bears to a 3-0 victory on Tuesday night over host Red Mountain in a 6A non-region game.

Fritz ented the contest averaging better than a strikeout per game. After Tuesday's effort she has 74 Ks in 37 innings (two per inning average). She allowed just three base runners (walks in the first and seventh innings) and a bunt single by Red Mountain's Echo Mattiello with two outs in the sixth.

"She was strong, had all her pitches going," Basha coach Kailey Pomeroy said.

Fritz's most effective offering was a riseball and that supplied most of the Ks. She allowed three baserunners total (walks in the first and seventh innings) and the bunt hit between pitcher and third baseman. At one point Fritz mowed down 15 hitters in a row (13 of those via K). Red Mountain did not hit a ball out of the infield with the two non-Ks -- ground outs to short and pitcher.

Red Mountain's Alixe DeAnda took the loss, working 6 1/3 innings. DeAnda allowed baserunners in every inning but the sixth. She gave up five hits and walked six. She managed to match zeroes with Fritz through the first three innings before Basha got on the board with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth.

A dropped fly ball with two outs in the fourth allowed Rachel Cain to score in the fourth. The two runs in the fifth were a result of a walk, single, two errors (one throwing) and a sacrifice fly. The lone RBI of the contest belonged to Ada Martinez with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

"Their kid did a great job," Red Mountain coach Rich Hamilton said. "We didn't make any adjustments as the game moved along. We pride ourselves on that, and tonight we didn''t do that."

 Basha's Madeline Ugalde was the only player with multiple hits. Ugalde was 2 for 3 (both singles), walked and scored a run. Basha (7-2 overall, 4-1 power-ranking games) finishes the week hosting Desert Ridge on Thursday and Perry on Friday. Red Mountain's next game is home Thursday night vs. Hamilton. The Mountain Lions are 6-2, 1-1.