By Don Ketchum

They were running out of daylight and their pitcher was running out of energy because of back spasms.

Could Scottsdale Desert Mountain’s softball team avoid what appeared to be an almost certain elimination from the Class 5A Division II state tournament?

The cure came in the form of the long ball.

The Wolves erased a one-run deficit with a two-run home run from Jessica Guffey in the top of the seventh inning, and after a gritty Yuma Cibola team tied it in the bottom of the seventh, Desert Mountain got another two-run homer from Ashley Palmer in the top of the eighth and held on for an 8-6 triumph on Thursday (May 5) at Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor.

Desert Mountain, the No. 6 seed, moves on to face No. 11 Tucson Sunnyside on Saturday (May 7) in a rematch at noon at Sandra Day O’Connor. Sunnyside defeated Desert Mountain 7-1 in the first round on April 30.

Desert Mountain coach Rick Sharp said his team was confident, yet apprehensive entering Thursday’s game, because of pitcher Andy Wellins’ back spasms and the fact that other front-line players were injured and were being replaced by players who didn’t have as much experience.

“But they came through, the whole team came through,’’ Sharp said.

Desert Mountain scored three runs in the first inning against Cibola, the No. 2 seed. The Wolves scored another run in the second for a 4-1 lead.

Cibola, however, scored twice in the second and once in the third for a 4-4 tie. The Raiders took a 5-4 lead in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk.

Cibola had its chances to do more damage, but left the bases full in the third and fourth. The team left 15 on for the game.

The door was open for Desert Mountain in the seventh – but just barely.

Palmer led off the inning with a walk and with one out, Guffey pulled one to left field that landed just beyond the fence for a 6-5 lead.

Cibola battled back with a two-out, RBI double by Alex Roman. She advanced to third on a wild pitch on the fourth pitch of a walk to Melissa Padilla, but Wellins escaped to send the game into extra innings.

With two outs in the top of the eighth, Maddie Francis hit a line drive off the glove of the third baseman for a hit, and Palmer sent a drive over the fence. There was little doubt when it left the bat about where it would land.

Cibola had runners at third and second with one out, but Wellins got the last two outs on a tapper back to the circle and a grounder to third.

“We knew this (Cibola) was a good team, a scrappy team that wasn’t going to give up,’’ Sharp said.

He said Wellins likely will try to turn the tables on Sunnyside, an 8-2 winner over Sandra Day O’Connor in an elimination game on Thursday. If Wellins is unable to go or struggles, Sharp likely would call on Francis, who has won five games.