Late in the game Thursday, April 5, the Mingus Union High School softball team found itself in a familiar situation against Coconino High School: Trailing.
In the first of two matchups during the week on April 3 the Marauders scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to come out 5-3 winners on the road. This time around, they were unable to take advantage of a bases-loaded, zero outs opportunity in the bottom of the eighth inning, falling 5-3 to the visiting Panthers in a Grand Canyon Region contest.
“Coco is always tough, every year. This is my third year as an assistant coach, and Coco’s been tough every year,” Mingus assistant coach Bo Shults said. “I think we’ve split with them every single year, and here we are doing it again.
“Honestly both teams had great pitching. Kaycee [Williams] threw a great game both Tuesday and today, and the Coco pitcher did the same.”
With the loss, the Marauders [10-3] fell to 5-2 in the region and down to second place, while Coconino [8-3] improved to 6-2 and took over first.
Both games broke down in relatively the same manner. Both pitchers had strong outings, and were backed up by their defenses. All in all, the stranding of 13 runners proved costly for Mingus.
Three of those stranded came in the decisive extra inning, started off by Marauders sophomore center fielder Dylan Sweeney’s single to cap a four for four day at the plate.
“I felt like I was determined to win the game, I played not scared, I wanted to win the game,” Sweeney said.
Mingus senior left fielder Bailey Brown loaded the bases with a bunt single, setting the stage for senior leadoff hitter Nikki Zielinski to add to her two RBI with zero outs on the board.
Zielinski fouled out to Coconino senior first baseman Makynzie Miller-Smith, pressed against the dugout. Then junior designated hitter Delaney Hartnett struck out looking, and senior pitcher Kaycee Williams grounded out to seal the loss.
Mingus, ranked No. 3 in Conference 4A heading into the game, rallied to put itself in a position to sweep the No. 10 Panthers for the first time since 2014.
Down 3-1 in the sixth inning, the Marauders used a resilient defensive effort to end the top of the frame with momentum that carried into the home half and resulted in a tie game. Coconino had runners at the corners with one out when Mingus sophomore catcher Jasmine Shults picked off Hallie Chiaverini at third, then Williams notched her sixth strikeout to end the threat.
“It’s huge, It’s always huge. I mean it was almost a repeat of Tuesday. We were down going into the end, we played defensively great, we come back out on offense, and we score the runs that we needed to take it to extra innings,” Bo Shults said.
Marauders junior first baseman Lexi Ough led off the bottom half with a single past Panthers standout sophomore shortstop Brooklynn Wong’s diving effort. Sweeney sent her second double on the day to deep center field, and two batters later it was Zielinski who stepped to the plate.
Back in the fourth, in her first at bat with a runner in scoring position, Zielinski grounded out on the first pitch she saw. This time she took a first-pitch ball before driving the second back up the middle to tie the game.
Nonetheless, the Panthers scored twice in the top of the eighth. Panthers junior third baseman Taylor Brown ripped a double down the left field line to score the first, and a passed ball allowed the second to cross home.
“I felt like it was so close and everyone was a little nervous, so I think it just got away from us,” Sweeney said. “[Coconino] is a really good team and we came back and won that game, but this game we fell short.”
Mingus struck first, in the first inning. Zielinski walked and advanced to second on Hartnett’s single, then Shults doubled Zielinski home two batters later. The middle innings came and went quickly as the Marauders retired six straight through the third and fourth frames.
Coconino took the lead in the fifth when junior left fielder Ashlyn Hernandez doubled to lead things off, and junior catcher Sam Seery switched places with her in the next at bat. With two outs, sophomore second baseman Madelyn Clouse knocked a blooper into left field, where Brown’s mishandle allowed the second run to score.
| Grand Canyon Region Standings | ||
|
Team Coconino Mingus Bradshaw Mountain Mohave Flagstaff Prescott Lee Williams |
Region Record 6-2 5-2 6-3 4-2 4-4 2-6 0-8 |
Overall Record 8-3 10-3 10-3 6-4 6-5 4-9 3-10 |
The Panthers pounded two more singles through the left side to score the third run.
Mingus has five games remaining in one of the most competitive regions in 4A, with Mohave at No. 7 and Bradshaw Mountain at No. 9 as well.
“The schedule is important, whether we won or lost [the game] or not. If we win, it doesn’t mean we’re locked in. We’ve still got to go after everyone else in the region,” Bo Shults said.
Mingus plays a home-and-home series with Flagstaff High School, which started at home on Tuesday, April 10. Results were unavailable at press time. First pitch for the away game is set for 3:45 p.m. Thursday, April 12.
