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Buchanan's outfield defense lifts SabinoArizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.09.2007
PHOENIX — With a scholarship to the UA in the bag, Sabino junior Karissa Buchanan plans to use the remainder of her high school career to hone her skills for the college level.
Tuesday night, she showed off her improved outfield arm.
The center fielder gunned down two runners at home plate, one on a play that ended the game, in Sabino's 2-1 win over Phoenix Greenway in the Class 4A-I state quarterfinals at the Rose Mofford Softball Complex.
"I just try to keep my eye on the ball, and once I have it, I just look to see where the runner is and I let it go," said Buchanan, who also helped Sabino tie the game at 1 in the sixth inning when she scored on a two-out single by Molly Brossart.
The win put No. 6 Sabino (23-14) into Thursday's semifinals. The Sabercats will face No. 2 Scottsdale Chaparral at 6:30 p.m. at Rose Mofford.
Third-seeded Greenway (24-5) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth, but Sabino tied it on Brossart's hit.
Sabino's Emma Dunlap led off the seventh with a towering home run to center, her seventh of the year.
Greenway had runners at first and second with two outs in the seventh when Nicole Beals singled to center, but Buchanan charged the ball and fired home to Dunlap, who tagged Brittany Lewis to end the game.
"That's something she's needed to work on," Sabino coach Galen Paton said of Buchanan's throwing. "She's gotten a lot stronger."
● Glendale Cactus 1, Sahuaro 0: At Rose Mofford, fifth-seeded and defending 4A-I champ Cactus (25-10) strung together three hits in the top of the fourth off Sahuaro's Kira White to score the game's only run in what otherwise was a pitchers' duel.
"Their pitcher went right at us and ours went right at them," said Sahuaro coach Steve Sanchez, whose fourth-seeded Cougars (22-8-1) managed just one infield single off Cactus junior Sarah Byrne.
● Scottsdale Chaparral 8, Cienega 1: At Rose Mofford, the 10th-seeded Bobcats (26-12) were overwhelmed by sophomore Mackenzie Popescue, who struck out 18 and allowed two hits.
The Firebirds (28-7) collected 13 hits off Cienega pitching.
Class 4A-II
● Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain 7, Palo Verde 1: At Rose Mofford, No. 11 Palo Verde (14-12) committed six errors, which led to six runs for No. 3 Bradshaw Mountain (27-5).
The Titans tallied their lone run in the fourth when Alexis Rodriguez tripled and scored on a double by Victoria Chavez.
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