The No. 4-seeded Camp Verde High School softball team picked up a solid 10-2 win over No. 13. Arizona College Preparatory Academy in the first round of the Arizona Interscholastic Association 2A State Championship on Friday, April 28.
Cowboys freshman pitcher Jacy Finley dominated from start to finish, collecting 17 strikeouts and giving up just three hits and one walk for the complete game win.
“I started out a little nervous, but as we got into it I felt a lot better in that I knew that even if they did get a hit I had a good team that was backing me up,” Finley said.
The Cowboys [16-2, 9-1 Central] went up 1-0 in the second inning and used a big third inning to take a 10-0 stranglehold of the contest, played at Rose Mofford Softball Complex in Phoenix.
“We jumped on it early, like we knew we needed to change that part of our game early in the season,” Cowboys head coach Henry Smith said. “And we did it the first game. We came out hot and were able to put up runs and hold them off to get the win.”
Finley grabbed the first RBI of the game to drive home senior Kayla Hackett, who led things off with a triple.
All eight of Camp Verde’s third-inning runs came with two outs. Senior Madison Johnson started a run of six straight singles with a bases-loaded, two-run base knock to open the scoring.
Errors and indecision by Arizona College Prep fueled the scoring run.
Senior Tiauna Day singled in one run, and a throwing error welcomed Johnson home. Junior Serenity Garcia followed up with a single to plate Day, and freshman Bennett Holm singled and reached second on an error.
Senior Amber Dodge singled Garcia home and eventually crossed home for the 10th run on the back of the Knights’ fourth error of the frame.
“I think that’s why we really press staying disciplined,” Smith said. “That’s so important to stay disciplined because the team that stays disciplined the longest comes out the winning team.”
Finley then committed an error and gave up a single. A second Cowboys error allowed the Knights to get on the board.
Arizona College Prep’s second run came on a solo home run in the sixth inning after Camp Verde had turned a double play. It also got another hard hit in the next at bat, a ground-rule double, but Finley got a punchout to end the frame.
Finley struck out the first 10 Knights batters.
The Cowboys move on to play No. 5 Santa Cruz Valley High School at 5 p.m. Friday, May 5, at Rose Mofford Softball Complex.
