Morenci faces Willcox in Cochise County on Tuesday

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Cameryn Woodall delivers a pitch to the Cowgirls on April 5. The Morenci freshman allowed eight hits and struck out five while facing 34 batters during 6 1/3 innings. Morenci edged Willcox 9-8 in 11 innings and will play there on Tuesday, April 12.

Wildcats edge Cowgirls during 11 innings in Morenci

By Raymundo Frasquillo

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Devanie Medina wears an ear-to-ear smile as she rounds the bases after dispatching a 3-run 7th inning home run. The swing of her bat tied the game at 8-8 and an 11th inning swing singled in the deciding run.

WILLCOX – The Joseph Garcia-coached Morenci Wildcats travel to Willcox for a region contest with the Cowgirls Tuesday, April 12. The other region contest on the same date is Pima at Bisbee.

Willcox left Morenci with a 1-run extra innings loss a week earlier. Morenci was ranked No. 6 and Willcox No. 7 prior to the first pitch.

The Cowgirls have averaged a 10-3 (228-91) score per game while playing 20 of 24 abbreviated games, two in the regulation seven innings, and one other lasting nine innings. Morenci averaged a 10-5 (186-87) score per game while playing three regulation length games, 14 abbreviated games, and the 11-inning contest with the Cowgirls.

Region pairings for the rest of the week include Bisbee at Pima on Wednesday, April 13, and Tombstone at Willcox on Friday, April 15.

Non-region contests for region members include Saint David at Benson, San Manuel at Bisbee, Eloy Santa Cruz at Morenci, Fort Thomas at Pima, and Willcox at Thatcher on Thursday, April 14.

*Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: The Wildcats struck out 17 times against Willcox, but also recorded 17 hits and batted .370 (17-46) compared to .184 (9-49) by Willcox.*

The current 2A East Region standings are Benson (18-5 overall, 7-0 region) first, Morenci (13-5, 5-1 region) second, Bisbee (4-5, 2-3 region) third, Willcox (15-9, 1-3 region) fourth, Pima (8-10, 1-3 region) fifth, and Tombstone (3-10, 0-6 region) sixth.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Keirah Chee comes out of her wind-up to pitch the ball against Willcox. The Morenci junior faced 15 batters during 4 2/3 innings, striking out six and scattering two hits in relief.

Rankings for region members are No. 1 Benson (10-0 seeding, 20.5941 rating) of 35 teams, Morenci No. 5 (7-2, 9.3180), Willcox No. 8 (5-3, 4.3899), Pima No. 14 (3-4, minus 0.5303), Bisbee No. 18 (4-5, minus 4.2100), and Tombstone No. 26 (3-10, minus 9.4207).

Results of region pairings through April 11 are Benson topping Pima 23-3 in five innings (March 1), Willcox 7-2 (March 23), Bisbee 23-5 in five innings (March 24), Morenci 12-1 in five innings (March 29), Tombstone 22-2 in five innings (April 5), Willcox 9-4 (April 8), and Tombstone 21-0 in five innings (April 11); Morenci dispatching Bisbee 21-6 in five innings on March 18, Pima 19-1 in five innings (March 22), Tombstone 23-2 in five innings (March 23), Willcox 9-8 in 11 innings (April 5), and Pima 13-1 in five innings (April 8); Bisbee defeating Tombstone 13-6 (March 22) and 17-7 (April 8); Willcox downing Bisbee 16-2 in five innings (April 6); and Pima besting Tombstone 17-9 (March 28).

Willcox has wins of 14-0 in three innings over Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin (Feb. 24), 17-2 in four innings over Florence (Feb. 24), 5-3 in five innings over Maricopa (March 25), 5-0 in five innings over Phoenix Horizon Honors (Feb. 26), 16-1 in five innings over Saint David (March 3), 20-4 in five innings over Miami (March 8), 16-0 in four innings over Elfrida Valley Union (March 11), 17-0 in three innings over Pima (March 11), 11-0 in four innings over Nogales (March 12), 7-4 over Tucson Cholla (March 12), 7-2 in five innings over Nogales (March 12), 4-3 in five innings over Safford (March 12), 21-0 in five innings over Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (March 31), 20-0 in four innings over Phoenix Madison Highland Prep (April 1), and 16-2 in five innings over Bisbee (April 6).

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Mia Ontiveros heads for home in the 11th inning. The Morenci junior was beaned to get on, followed by a single and a walk to load the bases. Devanie Medina singled her in as the deciding run.

The Cowgirls lost 0-4 in six innings to Horizon Honors (Feb. 24), 3-4 to Chandler Valley Christian (Feb. 26), 4-7 in four innings to Maricopa (Feb. 26), 2-10 in five innings to Douglas (March 11), 7-8 in nine innings to Douglas (March 12), 2-12 in six innings to Douglas (March 12), 2-7 to Benson (March 23), 8-9 in 11 innings to Morenci (April 5), and 4-9 to Benson (April 8).

Morenci defeated Surprise Valley Vista 6-2 in two innings (March 4), Phoenix Saint Mary’s 14-1 in three innings (March 4) and 10-8 in four innings (March 5), Globe 6-2 (March 8), Thatcher 16-6 in six innings (March 15), Bisbee 21-6 in five innings (March 18), Pima 19-1 in five innings (March 22), and Tombstone 23-2 in five innings (March 23), Phoenix Trevor Browne 15-2 in four innings (March 24), Kingman Academy 16-5 in six innings (March 25), Winkelman Hayden 17-6 in five innings (March 25), Willcox 9-7 in 11 innings (April 5), and Pima 13-1 in five innings (April 8).

The Wildcats lost 0-4 in three innings to Glendale Apollo (March 3), 3-9 in five innings to Maricopa (March 5), 45 to Bagdad (March 24), 1-12 to Benson (March 29), and 3-7 to Eagar Round Valley (April 2).

Morenci – 9, Willcox – 8

*Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Alicia Cruz observes the pitcher as she awaits her turn at-bat. For the evening, the Morenci junior batted .800 (4-5) with an RBI.*

The Wildcats overcame seven errors with a bases-loaded, no outs 11th-inning single to drive in the deciding run. Senior catcher Devanie Medina drilled the ball out of the infield and it allowed beaned junior leadoff batter Mia Ontiveros to score the game-ending run. Junior Juliauna Forgach-Aguilar singled on and sophomore Alizabeth Aguilar drew a base on balls.

Medina tied the score at 8-8 with a previous swing of her bat, dispatching a 3-run homer over the 250-foot left-field fence. She wound up batting .833 (5-6) with two singles, two doubles, a home run, and five RBIs.

The score was tied 2-2 after two innings, with both teams scoring a run in each inning. Willcox scored twice in the fifth, Morenci countered with three runs of its own, and Willcox went ahead 8-5 with four runs in the top of the seventh.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Jesse Gonzalez went the distance in the circle for the Cowgirls. The Willcox junior yielded 17 hits, struck out 17, walked one, and beaned one while facing 49 batters during 11 innings.

For the game, Morenci batted .370 (17-46), left nine runners on, and committed seven errors compared to .184 (9-49), eight stranded runners, and no errors for Willcox.

Sophomore Kay’Leigh Blair batted 1.000 (1-1), junior Alicia Cruz .800 (4-5, RBI), Juliauna Forgach-Aguilar (3-6), and freshman Cameryn Woodall (1-2, home run, RBI) both .500, Ontiveros .400 (2-5), and Alizabeth Aguilar .250 (1-4).

In the circle, Woodall yielded eight hits and struck out five while facing 34 batters during 6 1/3 innings. Junior reliever Keirah Chee scattered two hits and struck out six while facing 15 batters during 4 2/3 innings.

For Willcox, junior Allison Wilson batted .500 (3-6, double, home run, 3 RBIs), junior Brandi Larson .400 (2-5), junior Kytelin Lane (RBI), and freshman Nataly Thompson .200 (1-5) apiece, and both junior Braxton Hammons and junior Jesse Gonzalez .167 (1-6).

Gonzalez went the distance in the circle for the Cowgirls, yielding 17 hits, striking out 17, walking one, and beaning one while facing 49 batters during 11 innings.