Rhea Paiva, Jillian Bartley lead Centennial softball to 14-1 win
The first pitch of Tuesday’s game flew all the way to the track. It landed in the left fielder’s mitt, but it was still a sign of the offensive show Centennial softball was about to put on.
The Bulldogs laced 14 hits and Rhea Paiva and Jillian Bartley each knocked in three runs as Centennial blasted host Faith Lutheran, 14-1.
“I felt like I helped my team get the win today,” Paiva said. “We have a good team and I think we’ll stay in the winning column the rest of the season.”
Paiva finished 3-for-5 with three runs and a double, and Bartley’s two-run homer in the second chased the Crusaders’ starter after just four outs. Kiana Tate doubled in the first, but other than that, Centennial (4-3, 2-0 Northwest League) hit 11 singles, drew six walks and benefited from four Faith Lutheran errors.
Left-handed pitcher Deanna Barrera surrendered just one run and five hits across seven innings. She effectively used a change-up, struck out five and retired 10 in a row from the first to the fifth innings.
“We expect a good game out of her every time she goes out,” Centennial coach Mike Livreri said.
Faith Lutheran (3-4, 0-2) attempted a rally in the fifth where it scored its only run, but failed to tag up from third on a deep fly to right with one out and stranded two in the frame. In the sixth the Crusaders ran into the same issue, getting the first two batters on base, but left two on base in the inning.
The Bulldogs scored six in the second and five in the seventh for their first double-digit scoring output of the year.
“Everybody hit a little bit,” Livreri said. “This is where the season starts. We just got back form a tournament where it doesn’t matter. These games matter, so it’s great to be 2-0.”
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Box score:
Centennial 14, Faith Lutheran 1
Tuesday’s highlights
Baseball
— Pahrump Valley’s Garrett Lucas spun a five-inning perfect game as the host Trojans blanked Del Sol, 10-0.
— Duke Pahukoa was 3-for-4, including a go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning to give Durango a 6-4 victory at Sierra Vista.
— Cole Schaefer was 3-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs, and Desert Oasis teammate Aaron Roberts smacked a two-run homer to help the host Diamondbacks rout Bonanza in five innings, 14-2.
Softball
— Mariana Maldonado had two hits and Eldorado took advantage of five errors to down Las Vegas on the road, 4-2.
— Meghan McInerney and Holly Severance hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning to help Desert Oasis beat visiting Bonanza, 14-4 in five innings.
— Moapa Valley’s Emilie Barraza earned the win with 14 strikeouts, and was 3-for-4 with a home run to power the visiting Pirates past Sunrise Mountain, 17-5.
