By Don Ketchum

All Peoria Liberty High needed was a couple of seventh-inning runs and it would have a good chance to get a softball victory over host Goodyear Desert Edge on Thursday night (April 7).

But what Liberty did was break the bank.

The Lions sent 14 hitters to the plate in the top of the seventh and scored nine runs on five hits, combined with three errors, and went on to win going away 12-5.

It was the second Class 4A Division II Skyline Region win of the week over Desert Edge. Liberty also won on Tuesday 7-0. Desert Edge had entered the week in the top spot in Arizona Interscholastic Association power points, Liberty sixth.

Liberty raised its overall record to 13-7, while Desert Edge slipped to 19-7.

“These were two really big wins for us this week. We were really focused on what we needed to do,’’ said Liberty coach Kortny Hall.

Olga Barragan hit a three-run home run to highlight a four-run third inning and gave the Scorpions a 4-0 lead.

“Games like this are great examples of what the state tournament is going to be like – close almost down to the very end,’’ Hall said.

“When we were behind, we stressed the positives, not getting down on ourselves.’’

Liberty began to chip away in the fourth.

A sacrifice fly by Nicole Himes brought home the first run.

The lead was cut to 4-3 in the fifth on a passed ball and an RBI single by Taylor Macy.

Then the big seventh inning. Anderson Phillips and pitcher Cortney DeLaChica each drove in two runs.

Desert Edge attempted to get back in the game in its half of the seventh, producing a run on four hits and a walk, but it was too late. Frustration finally boiled over for Scorpions coach Robert Shorts and he was ejected when the use of a courtesy runner was disallowed.