Gilbert softball rips Desert Ridge, reaches MDN-McCl final

March 13, 2012 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Gilbert's softball team took a couple innings to get warmed up Tuesday morning, but once it did it didn't let up on Desert Ridge.

Gilbert scored twice in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings and piled on a seven-spot in the sixth to defeat Desert Ridge, 13-2, in its final Pool B game of the Marcos de Niza-McClintock Tournament at Marcos de Niza High School.

Gilbert (4-1 in the tournament) advances to Wedneday's 2 p.m. final at Marcos de Niza. Gilbert faces Hamilton, which wrapped up Pool A on Monday. Hamilton won all five of its pool games at McClintock High.

Gilbert collected 16 hits -- 14 over its last four innings. Catcher Taylor McCord led the hit parade with two doubles and a home run. McCord drove in four runs. Her two-run homer in the sixth touched off the seven-run rally that ended the game by run-rule after six innings.

Elysia Mesa and Alex Astorga chiipped in with three hits apiece. Mesa drove in three runs with a double and two-run homer. Freshman Lynsey Duncan picked up the victory. She gave up seven hits -- five in the second and third combined when Desert Ridge scored its runs. Jackie Hernandez and Lexi Large drove in the runs for Desert Ridge.

Gilbert had to win the last four games of pool play after losing its opening game to Casa Grande on Saturday, 6-4. The Tigers actually tied for the best pool record with Desert Mountain at 4-1, but since they beat Desert Mountain, 7-6, on Monday, that was the tie-breaker that earnedthem a finals berth.

The tournament switches exclusively to Marcos de Niza HS for Wednesday's games with cross pool matchups. The schedule for Wednesday is as follows: 10 a.m. -- North vs. Marcos de Niza; Combs vs. Casa Grande; Noon -- McClintock vs. Perry and North Canyon vs. Desert Ridge. The other 2 p.m. game pits Poston Butte against Desert Mountain.