The Camp Verde Softball team maintained its ranking as No. 8 in the state after its four-inning, 19-0 win over the Scottsdale Christian Eagles on Thursday, April 2.
“We had 18 hits out of 19 points,” Head Coach Danya Weir said. “That shows a lot of great power hitting today.”
The Cowboys have gone 12-1 so far in the season, with eight regular season games left. It’s ranked No. 2 in the central region behind the Phoenix Christian Cougars, which has gone 14-5 overall.
“I feel like we played more to our level than playing down to theirs,” sophomore first baseman Mariana Casillas said.
“We fought to the end,” junior outfielder Maryah Ruiz said. “Even though we were still up by a lot.”
The Eagles are ranked No. 4 in the region and No. 13 in the state.
“This is our first game we’ve played as a real team, instead of individuals,” junior catcher Madison Weber said.
Weber played club wrestling last year, but is excited to be back in softball.
“It’s definitely different mindsets for both of them,” she said. “Being by myself and then having a bunch of girls helping me is a lot different.”
Working together as a team is something the players have been working toward their whole high school careers. The team bonds outside of practices and usually has dinner together once a week.
“We do Character Matter every week, where we just talk about [and] give out awards for certain words that we work on during the week,” Casillas said. “This week is ‘fight’ and ‘inspire.’”
Last year the team won the state championship’s play-in game but lost the first round against the Willcox Cowboys 5-4.
“We were pretty much all shocked that we were able to [get] regional champs,” Casillas said.
Last year, the team went 14-4 overall.
“We have a way better team this year,” she said.
“I think this team can go really hard,” Weir said. “It’s very talented, family orientated, you know, very high energy group. … That’s our goal, just to keep being positive and good, not just winning, but dominating.”
The players have all been playing since they were young.
“I’ve been playing since I was like 4,” Ruiz said.
Even for this season, they began early. The team played frequently throughout the summer and preseason. Since the season started in January, it’s been five days a week.
The Cowboys had a home game against the Fountain Hills Falcons on Tuesday, April 7, past press time, and its last home game of the season will be against the Phoenix Christian Cougars on Monday, April 13, at 3:45 p.m.
