Related articles:

Preseason favorite CDO earns top seed in softball playoffs Catalina Foothills rolls in title match to repeat as champsState high school tournament pairingsNine locals in hunt for 4A/5A-II volleyball title As planned, Cienega makes quick work of Marana in win No. 1 Buena marches into second round of state tournament The Rundown the Rundown Today's high school state tournament schedule Foothills girls win, face tough semifinal

Health Care
Neurological Associates of Tucson
Operations Manager Trades/Construction
Sundt Construction
Small Business Owners Legal
Munger Chadwick P.L.C
Associat For Commercial & Corporate Transactions & litigation Trades/Construction
.
Welders, Fabricators for structural steel General
TECHNICIANS Office and Clerical
Dr. Wayne Goodner, DDS
Front Office PT Office and Clerical
Manheims Tucson Auto Auction
Vehicle Title Clerk

Cienega defeated host Catalina Foothills 5-4 Saturday in the first round of the Class 4A-I state tournament on the strength of pitcher Brittany Keiser.

Even though Foothills had the tying runner on base in the last three innings, Cienega's sophomore pitcher was equal to the task.

"Keiser's an athlete, and I trusted that she was going to (pull through). Never even doubted that," Cienega coach Tim Nichols said.

The game was scoreless until the fifth inning, then 10th-seeded Cienega (26-11) erupted for four runs using four singles.

Foothills, the No. 7 seed, clawed back in the bottom half on Colleen Svancara's two-run triple. Svancara scored on Kaity Ingram's RBI single to make the score 4-3.

Cienega catcher Emily Pohl added an insurance run in the sixth, scoring from first on Brittany Johnson's double to left field. But Lauren MacNeal's groundout in the bottom of the sixth, scoring Bri Swift, brought Foothills (23-10) back within one.

Keiser did not allow a ball out of the infield in the seventh to clinch the victory.

Cienega advanced to Tuesday's quarterfinal against No. 2 Scottsdale Chaparral at Rose Mofford Softball Complex in Phoenix. Game time is 6:30 p.m.

— John Holden

● Ironwood Ridge 7, Pueblo 3: At Ironwood Ridge, the Nighthawks scored first and never looked back in a first-round win over Pueblo (17-10).

Aletheia Swihart and Laken Anway each singled home a run in a three-run second inning for No. 8 seed Ironwood Ridge (17-13).

Swihart had two hits and two RBIs, and also was the winning pitcher.

"We pitched well, we defended well and hit the ball well," said Ironwood Ridge coach Randy Anway.

Kelsey Groff sealed the victory for the Nighthawks with a three-run home run off Pueblo pitcher Angel Alvarez to make it 7-0 in the fifth.

"She threw the pitch up, so I just swung and hoped for the best," said Groff, who batted ninth in the order. "I hadn't been hitting the ball real well, so Coach moved me down."

Kayla Mahaffey hit a three-run homer to make the score 7-3. But Pueblo was unable to pull any closer.

Ironwood Ridge will play No. 1 Canyon del Oro on Tuesday in the quarterfinals. The game will be held in Tucson at a site and time to be determined.

— Callaway Teel

● Canyon del Oro 3, Tempe McClintock 0: At CDO, the top-seeded Dorados (30-3) cruised to an easy win behind sophomore ace Kenzie Fowler.

"We just needed to get that win to get to the next game," said CDO senior Kate Wilczynski, who drove in two of the Dorados' runs.

Fowler (25-1) struck out 17 and did not allow a hit until Rose Rover led off the seventh inning with a bloop single to right-center. She was one of only two base runners for No. 16 McClintock (13-21).

CDO jumped ahead 2-0 in the second thanks to a bases-loaded walk to Wilczynski and a wild pitch. Wilczynski added a solo home run leading off the fifth, her school-record-tying 44th hit of the season.

● Palo Verde 1, Desert View 0: At Desert View, the fourth time was the charm for the No. 11 Titans.

After dropping three games to Desert View (19-11) earlier in the season, the Titans (14-11) topped the sixth-seeded Jaguars in the first round of the 4A-II state tournament.

"They've seen them three times; they've lost to them three times," Palo Verde coach Selina Heald said of her team. "They wanted it more than anything."

Freshman Chela Romero pitched a four-hit shutout to lead the Titans into Tuesday's quarterfinal round.

"Coming out here and beating a team that has beaten us three times is just amazing," Romero said.

Palo Verde scored the only run of the game in the first when Alexis Rodriguez singled and later scored on another single by Victoria Chavez.

Neither team was close to scoring again until the Titans loaded the bases in the sixth. But Desert View pitcher Saby Romero struck out Lavonda Smiley to end the threat.

"It was a good game on both sides," Desert View coach Bert Otero said. "We are obviously very disappointed, but I give Palo Verde all the credit. They silenced our bats."

Palo Verde's next opponent will be No. 3 Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain in Tuesday's quarterfinals at Rose Mofford. Game time is 6:30 p.m. Bradshaw Mountain beat visiting Douglas 15-9 Saturday.

Go online to read game recaps about Sahuaro and Sabino at prepsports.azstarnet.com.