By Don Ketchum

There have been coaching changes at some key softball schools in the northwest Valley, but the fortunes of Peoria Sunrise Mountain and Glendale Cactus remain in good hands.

The two teams are on display in the Sandra Day O’Connor-Deer Valley Softball Festival that began Thursday (March 22) and continues Friday (March 23) and Saturday (March 24). Finals are at O’Connor on Saturday.

After a six-year absence, Jody Pruitt returned to coach Sunrise Mountain this season after Nick Rizer stepped down to spend more time with his family. Pruitt guided the Mustangs to a Class 5A state runner-up finish in 2004. Sunrise Mountain won two 5A-II titles under Rizer (2008 and 2009) and one under Scott Miller (2006).

And Bartt Underwood is the new field boss at Cactus after more than two decades at Peoria Centennial. He led Centennial to the 5A-II title in 2010 and runner-up finishes in 2006 and 2007 (5A-II) and 2003 and 2004 (Class 4A Division I).

Underwood’s Centennial  teams had a strong rivalry with Cactus, then coached by Jeff Griffith. After “retiring’’ and sitting out for four years, Griffith is back as an assistant to Underwood. Two former Underwood assistants at Centennial, Rusty Peterson and Dave Hyman, are now assistants at Cactus.

Sunrise Mountain looked like a state-championship contender on Thursday with a pair of shutouts, 6-0 over Chandler Hamilton and 3-0 over Cactus.

“After Nick left, they (school administrators) came and asked me about coaching again,’’ Pruitt said. “I wanted to do it. Who wouldn’t? I had been doing some softball instruction on the side. Coaching is a big time commitment and I have four kids, but they are getting older now. My oldest one is a freshman at Sunrise Mountain. Can you believe that?

“It’s an honor to be coaching again at Sunrise Mountain. The winning tradition hasn’t left there. We want to keep it going.’’

Taylor Nowlin pitched against Hamilton and Kirsten Hostetler against Cactus.

“Today, we did not swing the bats as well as we had been, but our pitchers came out and did a great job for us. They gave us a chance to win,’’ Pruitt said.

Sunrise Mountain appears to be solid throughout its lineup, and junior shortstop Michala Erickson is a star in the making.

“Defensively, she gets to balls that other players don’t,’’ Pruitt said.

Cactus had a tough day on Thursday. The Lady Cobras fell to Avondale Westview 10-2 earlier in the day before meeting Sunrise Mountain.

“I was at the same school for a long time, and I still don’t know our girls like you do if you are there in one place for a long time,’’ Underwood said.

“But we are a work in progress. All the girls are giving it a great effort, and I think they like each other. Our goal is to make the state tournament and we are capable of doing it. We’ve had a lot of support from the school and the parents.

“And my assistants have been great. They are very organized. We have a lot of fun.’’

Underwood spent some time over the winter sprucing up the field, painting, fixing sprinklers and other equipment.

“I wanted to make it look nice for when the girls first came out,’’ he said. “I told them, “I made it look this good and now it’s up to you to maintain it, keep it looking good,’ and they have done that. It takes discipline and I think that’s what many kids want is some discipline. It gives them a purpose.’’