By Don Ketchum

Mike Chriss took on an extra passenger for his return trip to Prescott from Phoenix on Wednesday night (May 4).

It wasn’t a hitchhiker, but a trophy of a baseball player taking a big swing with his bat.

Chriss had connected on plenty of big swings, winning the fourth annual baseball home-run derby for the Black Canyon and Western Sky regions at Phoenix Greenway High.

Chriss, a senior shortstop from Prescott High, pretty much lapped the field by sending a record 15 balls over the fence in the final three-man round that included Connor Goff of Glendale Cactus and Peter McWilliams of Phoenix Shadow Mountain.

In the girls’ softball home-run derby, Amanda Pendrick of Glendale Apollo took home the trophy with 9 homers in the final that included Hannah Dal Pra of Phoenix Sunnyslope and Natasha Miczek of Phoenix Cortez.

Each of the combined 13 schools had one representative each for baseball and softball.

Chriss slipped into the championship round by breaking a tie with Phoenix Thunderbird’s Marcus Wheeler. Chris won that duel 2-1, with the two hitters allowed just five outs instead of the normal 10 in a regular round.

Chriss went first in the final round and put the pressure on with the help of his pitcher and father, Rob Chriss.

“That’s what I wanted to do, put the pressure on if I could by going first,’’ Mike Chriss said. “I was a bit nervous at first because there was a pretty big crowd out there, but then I was able to relax.’’

He was concerned about Goff, a junior shortstop, who led the first round with 10. Goff had 9 in the final round.

Mike Chriss did not have much of a chance to practice earlier in the week because his team was involved in two state-tournament games.

“We practiced a little bit earlier today (Wednesday),’’ said Chriss, who hit 9 homers during the regular season. “I just really wanted to try to drive the ball, use the strength of my lower half (legs).’’

As a pitcher for Apollo, Pendrick’s job was to try to avoid giving up home runs rather than hitting them.

Her team had finished its season and that allowed her to work with one of the assistant coaches, Eddie Cruz, who has been coaching her since the sixth grade.

“He did a great job pitching to me tonight,’’ Pendrick said.

“He just said that when I went out there, “Just go out there and give it all you’ve got,’ and that’s what I did.’’