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Ironwood Ridge and Canyon del Oro played each other five times last year and the Nighthawks came away with three wins, including a victory that sent the Dorados to elimination bracket, only to have CDO comeback and knock them out to send the Dorados to the Division II championship game against Sunrise Mountain.

The combined scores of those five games came out to 35-34 in favor of CDO. So, it didn’t matter if CDO’s state player of the year Kayla Bonstrom was pitching or if The Ridge’s all-state pitcher Makayla McAdams was in the circle – offense ruled the day.

Ironwood Ridge traveled to CDO Tuesday night to renew their rivalry but they came without the services of sophomore standouts Alex Rapp and Merilee Miller due to injuries and the Dorados, on the other hand, are playing without junior outfielder Rebecca Ziegler due to an injury.

Both teams are filled with freshmen and sophomores so they are still feeling each other out but CDO was able to jump on Ironwood Ridge early with three runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Jordyn Binnion walked to lead the game off and then Maggie Morales followed with the game’s first hit. Freshman pitcher Mandy Lorenson picked up a groundout but then Makenzie Sullivan was walked to load the bases.

An illegal pitch brought in Binnion and then Sammy Nettling drove in Morales from third. Lorenson collected her first strikeout but Heather Knight reached on an error to score Sullivan. Lorenson was able to pick up another strikeout to end the inning with two earned runs.

Meanwhile, CDO senior pitcher Alexis Alfonso appears ready to take the lead this year after putting in a complete game against Ironwood Ridge. Despite a walk issued in the first inning, Alfonso held Ironwood Ridge off the bases until senior Casey Fisher reached on an error to lead off the top of the third.

Freshman Kelsey Buechler reached on a walk and then freshman Reina Bondi reached on another error to load the bases with no outs. Alfonso picked up a strikeout and then Binnion caught a line drive at second base and flipped the ball to first baseman Niki Gonzalez for a double play to end the threat.

CDO had added another run in the second inning after Binnion reached on a double and Sullivan brought her in and another run in the bottom of the third inning on a towering solo homerun by DH Knight after Emily Robinson replaced Lorenson.

Robyn Porter singled with one out in the top of the fourth for Ironwood Ridge and then Lexi Adelberg hit the middle of the right field fence but was held to a single on the play. Alfonso picked up another strikeout and then a fielder’s choice to end another threat.

Binnion singled to lead off the bottom of the fourth and then Morales followed with another single. Robinson induced a pop up and a strikeout but Nettling was able to bring in Binnion for the sixth run.

Bondi singled with one out in the top of the fifth and then Alexis Clinton walked. Alfonso got a fielder’s choice for the second out but an error allowed Bondi to score. CDO put up two more runs after freshman Shelby Hotchkiss hit a 2-run homer to bring in herself and Sullivan off of freshman pitcher Morgan Anderson.

Down 8-1, Ironwood Ridge scored three unearned runs in the top of the seventh to make things closer. Bondi reached on an infield error and then Clinton walked.

Erin Rocker moved the runners over for the first out and then Sarah Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Bondi from third base. Porter singled in Clinton and then Adelberg doubled in freshman Raquel Martinez who was running for Porter. Another error extended the inning but Alfonso picked up the final out to end the comeback threat.

Adelberg went 2-4 with a double and an RBI, Porter went 2-4 with an RBI and Clinton was walked three times to lead Ironwood Ridge.

Alfonso gave up no earned runs, 6 hits and four walks. Binnion went 2-3 with a double, Morales went 2-4, Sullivan went 2-4 with an RBI, Nettling went 2-4 with 2 RBIs, Hotchkiss hit a homerun with 2 RBIs and Knight hit a solo homerun to lead CDO.

CDO 8, Ironwood Ridge 4

NOTES: There are several future college players on each team but one that sticks out the most as far as academics is Casey Fisher. Fisher took a couple of years off from softball but still managed a spot at Brown University. The “academics first” lesson should not be forgotten… While not a PAC 12 power, Fisher will graduate with an Ivy League degree while attending one of the ten best colleges in the country…..Which will be more important to her in ten years?

Ironwood Ridge has seven freshmen and three sophomores on their roster and CDO has five freshmen and six sophomores. That’s 21 players….

Two CDO freshmen had brothers win a state championship for Ironwood Ridge’s football team this year. Carli Campbell’s brother Austin and Randi Longville’s brother Gordy.

The initial AIA/MaxPreps Seedings will be released on Tuesday, March 12.

Official disclaimer…Maggie Morales is my daughter but I will not be attending all of her games….

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 26th, 2013 at 9:59 pm and is filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.