Winning by a landslide can make it difficult for a team to improve, but Camp Verde High School’s softball team made the most of its 22-0, four-inning defeat of Scottsdale Christian Academy on Friday, March 9.
The team [4-0] recognized before the season that improving its offense was going to be a point of emphasis. The game against the Eagles [0-2] and the week of practice leading up to it were centered on continuing preparation for this week’s Grace Lee Haught Memorial tournament, Central Region play and a deep run at the state tournament.
“We’re working on understanding the situations, where they should hit the ball according to where baserunners are, they’re learning that part of the game. Seeing pitches before they’re actually swinging, seeing the pitches and hitting the pitches in the direction where the pitches came,” Camp Verde head coach Henry Smith said. “To hit them that direction, not just swing the bat, staying disciplined hitting. Our slappers, we’re really trying to get them to move the ball in different directions, different styles of slapping.”
Cowboys junior first baseman Miranda Sharp had a team-high five RBI on four hits with two runs scored. Camp Verde junior third baseman Tyra Smith, senior catcher Jade Oium and sophomore pitcher Jacy Finley had three RBI each, and the Cowboys amassed 21 hits while walking four times and striking out just twice.
The team led 7-0 after the first inning, then scored 11 more runs in the second inning to sentence the game before it hardly got started. Cowboys freshman shortstop Cassandra Casillas singled to leadoff the game before sophomore center fielder Hailey Moore laid down a bunt and reached on a fielder’s choice before Tyra Smith drove Casillas in. That bunt play was one example of what the Cowboys have looked at doing better.
“Hailey was able to execute a bunt play that we’ve been working on all season. She hasn’t been able to do it, even in practice, but we gave her the sign today and it was perfect,” Henry Smith said. “It worked out well, so huge improvements on our hitting.”
Camp Verde hit three more doubles in the inning, and it batted through the lineup. It did it again in the second inning, incorporating seniors Alden Teeters and Skylar Russell into the rotation. Six consecutive singles made it 11-0; three more plus two doubles made it 17-0.
The Eagles’ [0-2] defense could not stop the Cowboys from stealing eight bases and advancing on other throws. Casillas led with three stolen bases. Finley pitched all four innings, giving up two hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.
Sharp’s two-RBI single drove in the final two runs in the third inning. After the game, Henry Smith talked about Sharp’s breakout performance; the past two seasons batting was a point of improvement. It was an example of the strides the team has made since last year.
“It felt like a small victory to me, because I was finally able to help my team compete, so it was a pretty exciting feeling honestly,” Sharp said. “It’s a team effort, definitely. We all focused this week we had a rough week of practice. We all kind of broke each other down to the very last bits and called it a day.”
This year’s team is younger than last season’s Conference 2A state Final Four squad, but no less hungry or experienced. Young players like Casillas have stepped in seamlessly, and from the start of the season has been committed to the team concept.
“What I’ve noticed early in the season is that they understand that we all have a common goal, and that’s to get better every single time we step on the field, whether it be practice or a game,” Henry Smith said. “Every single one of them are hard workers. They’ve bought into what we want to teach, they’ve accepted it, they like all the coaches. So far it’s been a nice season where everyone is accepting to our discipline.”
Camp Verde has had a strong start to the season, winning all four of its power-point games by at least 10 runs. The team somewhat surprised itself with the its strong performance at the 2018 Wrangler Softball Tournament, too.
Up Next
The Cowboys had one of their tougher regular season games on the road on Tuesday, March 13, at Bourgade Catholic High School, but results were unavailable at press time. Bourgade Catholic defeated them 8-2 in last year’s state Final Four and 9-2 in the regular-season matchup.
They next play Thursday and Friday, March 15 and 16, at the Grace Lee Haught Memorial tournament at Payson High School and Rumsey Park. The first game is at 12 p.m. against Joseph City High School.
