Liberty softball beats Green Valley in playoff opener

Liberty only mustered two hits in its opening round Class 5A Southern Region softball playoff game against reigning state champion Green Valley.

It was all the Patriots needed.

Liberty rallied from a two-run deficit to defeat top-seeded and Desert League champion Green Valley 4-3 in eight innings Monday at Green Valley.

The fourth-seeded Patriots scored a run in the seventh to draw even, and Morgyn Vesco drove in the game-winning run on an RBI single in the eighth.

Jesse Farrell had a home run and scored three runs for Liberty (19-9). The loss snapped Green Valley’s 21-game winning streak.

Liberty plays at Palo Verde in a winner’s bracket game, while Green Valley (21-4) hosts Faith Lutheran in an elimination game. Both games are at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

■ No. 2M Palo Verde 6, No. 3D Faith Lutheran 1: At Palo Verde, the Panthers broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the fifth inning to pull away in an opening-round victory. Palo Verde (16-8) starter Belle Will threw a complete game, allowing two hits, and went 3-for-3 at the plate. Paige Brandes was 2-for-4 with two RBIs the Panthers. Averi O homered in the second for the Crusaders (21-11).

■ No. 4D Coronado 13, No. 1M Shadow Ride 4: At Shadow Ridge, the Cougars struck for nine runs in the top of the sixth to put away the Mountain League champion Mustangs. Coronado entered the sixth trailing 4-2. Chase Magdaleno was 4-for-4 with three RBIs, and Summer Gilliam had a three-run triple for the Cougars (9-8). Jordynn Hernandez had two RBIs for Shadow Ridge (15-4).

■ No. 2D Centennial 7, No. 3M Arbor View 3 : At Centennial, Keana Bell was 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a home run to lead the Bulldogs. Centennial led 4-0 after the second inning. Abryanna Newcomb was 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Arbor View. Centennial (21-10) hosts Coronado in the other winner’s bracket game and Arbor View (14-14) plays at Shadow Ridge in an elimination game.

Class 3A

■ No. 2D Clark 3, No. 5 Moapa Valley 2: At Clark, the Chargers rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off victory.

■ No. 1M Boulder City 19, No. 8 Canyon Springs 4 (3): At Boulder City, Alexis Farrar had five RBIs and Baylee Cook had four as the Eagles rolled to an opening-round victory. Boulder City (16-11) hosts Clark (15-8) in a winner’s bracket game, and Canyon Springs (0-12) plays at Moapa Valley (9-9) in an elimination game.

■ No. 6 Pahrump Valley 16, No. 2M SLAM Academy 13 : At SLAM Academy, the Trojans scored six runs in the seventh to take the lead and hold off the Bulls (13-8).

Pahrump Valley entered the top of the seventh trailing 13-10.

■ No. 1D Virgin Valley 23, No. 7 Valley 0: At Virgin Valley, the Bulldogs rolled to their 33rd straight victory. Virgin Valley (33-0) hosts Pahrump Valley (10-13) in a winner’s bracket game, and Valley (4-13) plays at SLAM Academy in an elimination game..

Baseball

Class 5A

■ No. 3M Faith Lutheran 8, No. 2D Basic 3: At Basic, Crusaders starter LJ Mercurius threw a complete game with six strikeouts to defeat the reigning 5A state champion Wolves.

Ace Hansen had a two-run triple and Brandon Swanson had a two-run double for Faith Lutheran (18-8).

Basic (22-8) will host No. 4D Coronado in an elimination game. Coronado defeated Basic in both of the teams’ regular-season meetings.

■ No. 1M Bishop Gorman 9, No. 4D Coronado 2: At Bishop Gorman, Maddox Riske went 3-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the Gaels past the Cougars. Jase Pashales had a two-run homer for Coronado (19-12). Bishop Gorman (29-2) hosts Faith Lutheran in a winner’s bracket game.

■ No. 1D Green Valley 10, No. 4M Arbor View 6: At Green Valley, Connor Apeceche went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to help lead the Desert League champion Gators to their 11th straight victory. Caden Kirby went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Brady Ballinger had a two-run homer for Green Valley (27-6). Nick Yu and Justin Bryson each had two RBIs for Arbor View (14-17).

■ No. 2M Desert Oasis 18, No. 3D Centennial 9: At Desert Oasis, the Diamondbacks prevailed in a back-and-forth game. Desert Oasis (23-10) plays at No. 1D Green Valley in a winner’s bracket game, and Centennial (22-9) hosts Arbor View in an elimination game. Both games are at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Class 3A

■ No. 2D Virgin Valley 6, No. 5 SLAM Academy 3: At Virgin Valley, the Bulldogs scored twice in the fifth to tie the game and three runs in the sixth to pull ahead of the Bulls.

Mason Montoya was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Virgin Valley. Connor Law and Moses Tabangcura each had an RBI for SLAM Academy.

■ No. 1M Boulder City 6, No. 8 Eldorado 0: At Boulder City, Dylan Spencer threw five shutout innings and had five strikeouts to keep the Sundevils’ bats quiet. Kanon Welbourne went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Eagles. Eldorado only had two hits. Boulder City (20-6) hosts Virgin Valley (21-9) in a winner’s bracket game, and Eldorado (13-16-1) plays at No. 5 SLAM Academy (14-15-1) in an elimination game. Both games are at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

■ No. 2M Pahrump Valley 15, No. 6 Clark 5: At Pahrump Valley, the Trojans capitalized on seven Clark errors.

Pahrump Valley scored five runs in the sixth to end the game due to the 10-run mercy rule. Roberto Madrigal had two RBIs for Clark.

■ No. 1D Moapa Valley 10, No. 7 Western 0 (5): At Moapa Valley, the Pirates scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game out of reach. Logan Schouten, Chance Houston and Tahj Totten each had two RBIs for Moapa Valley, who had seven players drive in runs. Western was held to two hits. Moapa Valley (21-6) hosts Pahrump Valley (22-7) in a winner’s bracket game, and Western (13-14-1) plays at Clark (15-11) in an elimination game. Both games are at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.

A previous version of this story had the incorrect name for the Liberty player who had the game-winning hit.