Desert Ridge's objective Thursday afternoon was jockeying for playoff position and/or honing in on a first-round bye in the Division I state baseball playoffs in about a week. Highland's mission was to keep its playoff hopes cooking.

Desert Ridge fared better in its pursuit, building an early lead and coasting home with a 7-2 victory at Highland High.

Desert Ridge improved to 18-10 overall and 12-4 in power-point games to stay within striking distance if not a little better of the top eight spots. Highland saw its power-point game mark fall to 8-7. The Hawks will have to win their final three power-point games (at Red Mountain on Friday night, at Desert Ridge on April 24 and home with Basha on April 25) to have any shot at finishing in the top 24.

A decent day on the mound and at the plate from Keaton Cenatiempo keyed Desert Ridge's triumph. Cenatiempo drove in three runs with a two-run double and sacrifice fly and pitched four-plus innings allowing two runs to earn the win. His double in the third capped a three-run, four-hit inning off Highland starter Tanner Folio.

That was the only inning Desert Ridge really got to Folio. Folio pitched five innings and gave up six runs, but three unearned tallies in the fiftth pushed Desert Ridge's lead to 6-0. Highland committed three of its four errors in the inning. Those three runs doomed the Hawks, who managed just four hits in the game off Cenatiempo and reliever Riley Unroe.

Unroe did his part at the plate driving in two runs with a single in the fifth. Leadoff hitter J.D. Donovan scored all three times he reached base (via hit, walk and error).