Camp Verde’s softball team features a very different group of players from the team that won the state championship in 2019 and was poised to potentially repeat in 2020 before the season was shut down. The 2021 team is largely inexperienced but also has talent.
All of that showed in a 14-5 loss to Northland Prep Academy on Friday, March 26.
“Considering how we’ve been doing, I think we’re doing better working as a team,” said third baseman Brielle Durnez. “Our at-bats are looking better. We can be better but this game was better — not score wise.”
One of the positives is that the final score is somewhat misleading. While Northland Prep led throughout the game, it was competitive until the final inning. Camp Verde junior pitcher Summer Bast wasn’t flawless but had worked through some errors and a potent Spartans defense to keep the Cowboys in the game through six innings, with the score 6-2 heading into the seventh. There, she began to tire, something the NPA offense took full advantage of.
The Spartans delivered a pair of home runs, including a grand slam in the seventh inning to open up a 14-2 lead. That gave NPA enough cushion to easily withstand Camp Verde’s two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh, which led to the Cowboys scoring three runs.
“She threw 120 pitches today,” Camp Verde coach Clint Teague said of Bast’s effort. “And up until the grand slam and the one after that, she had us in the game.”
After surrendering three runs in the top half of the first, the Cowboys got into the game in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of their own. The score sat at 3-2 in the bottom of the third when Camp Verde’s talent and inexperience were on full display.
The inning started on a good note, when Desiree Garcia and Madison Sharp delivered a pair of singles to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Jenna Huey delivered the third-straight single of the inning, which, unfortunately for the Cowboys, resulted in an out when Garcia was thrown out at the plate attempting to score. Huey and Sharp advanced to second and third, respectively, on the throw home.
Durnez then appeared to tie the game on an RBI groundout, only Sharp didn’t break for home. Making matters worse for Camp Verde is that Huey did run to the still occupied third base. The Spartans took advantage of the base running mistake, retiring Huey in a run down and getting out of the inning unscathed. NPA then scored three in the top of the fourth and another in the fifth to take a much more comfortable 6-2 lead.
Camp Verde took on Bourgade Catholic in a road game on Tuesday, March 30 and a home game on Thursday, April 1. The Cowboys fell to the Golden Eagles both times, losing 12-8 and 17-5.
The loss to Northland Prep moved Camp Verde to 1-2 on the season. But while there’s definitely room to grow, the Cowboys are upbeat about what the rest of the season could hold.
“We have some mistakes that we need to clean up but I think we’re going to pull it all together,” Bast said. “And I love the energy that the girls have here.”
