Faith Orton drove in the winning run for Amphitheater. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365.com)

 

Faith Orton delivered on a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh to push Amphitheater past Douglas 8-7 Tuesday night. The victory moved the Panthers to 9-1 on the year and, more importantly, to 1-0 in the 4A Gila Region and the Bulldogs are still holding strong at 8-5 overall and 0-1 in region play.

The Bulldogs are hoping to build on back-to-back playoff appearances - a streak that includes a 20-win season and a second round finish in 2016 - and the Panthers believe this could be their year to set program victory and scoring records.

“I think we are pretty solid and we should be able to make state,” said Amphitheater sophomore Kristiana Watson. “We just have to keep doing what we have been doing.”

Watson is returning from one of the best freshman seasons ever recorded in Arizona with a .753 (61-81) batting average, 17 home runs and 54 RBIs. Those numbers were so impressive, she is believed to be the only Triple Crown winner from the Tucson area in the modern era. Even better, Watson finished 7-2 in the circle with 58 strikeouts in only 40 innings of work.

The edition of Orton in the pitching rotation this spring means Watson can focus on her infield defense where she is projected to play in the college level. Several Pac 12 schools are already salivating at the thought of having the 6-foot athlete on a roster.

Orton’s walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh capped off a wild game featuring timely hits and superior pitching but it also included game-changing errors, typical of teams trying to evolve and grow into competitive powers.

Douglas, for example, took advantage of a couple of Panther miscues in the top of the first to plate three runs. A dropped third-strike, a couple of passed balls and a dropped fly ball set the table for an RBI single from Alondra Lugo. Amphitheater responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning with Watson hitting a double and Orton coming through with her first RBI of the game. Lugo was in the circle for the Bulldogs and she picked up a couple of strikeouts and a ground ball to get out of the jam.

Shainah Nerio led off the top of the second with a double and she scored on an RBI single from Renee Urrea to put Douglas up 4-2. Orton scattered four hits from the third to sixth inning to keep the Bulldogs at bay, but the Panthers scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead and three more in the bottom of the sixth to seemingly put the game away with an 8-4 lead, but the Bulldogs had other plans.

Urrea singled to start off the top of the seventh and Victoria Valenzuela followed with a double. Thalis Higuera knocked in Urrea and then Isabel Tanabe hit a sacrifice fly to score Valenzuela.

Aylin Hernandez reached on an error to put two on with one out. Lugo helped herself out with a single to load the bases and Janae Aleman followed with a blast to the fence to score two more. The game was now tied up 8-8 with two runners in scoring position but Orton induced two fly balls to end the threat.

Yesenia Montoya got the Panthers started in the bottom of the seventh with a single and then Watson drew a walk to move Montoya to second base. Lugo got a fly ball for one out but Orton came up and singled home Montoya for the 9-8 win.

Lugo collected nine strikeouts in the loss and Urrea finished 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI to lead Douglas. Lugo went 3-4 at the plate with an RBI and Hernandez went 2-4 with a double. Aleman and Nerio hit doubles.

Orton picked up seven strikeouts in the win and she went 2-3 at the plate with two RBI. Watson went 2-2 with two doubles and an RBI. Orton and Watson were intentionally walked a combined five times. Reina Madrigal and Jaelyn Ramirez had a doubles and Montoya went 2-4.

The Panthers won the Safford Invitational two weeks ago and the team will be headed to the Hayden Softball Tournament next. The Bulldogs went 4-2 at their own invitational held last week and the team will host Catalina (0-3) on Friday.

Alondra Lugo (Andy Morales/AZPreps365.com)