Freelance
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP
ASH FRIEDERICH
sports@tucsoncitizen.com
The last time Canyon del Oro’s Kenzie Fowler and Sahuaro’s Kira White faced each other in the circle, the Class 4A Division I state title was awaiting the winner.
Canyon del Oro won that matchup last season, and the Dorados won again 6-0 at Sahuaro on Friday.
On her 18th birthday, Fowler’s teammates gave her a commanding lead before she even got into the circle.
“We came out on top and you can’t ask for more,” said Fowler, who struck out 19 and added two RBIs in the seventh inning.
“We knew coming in that Sahuaro was a good team. We barely pulled it out last year in the championship game. I just came in with a plan and stuck to it.”
Mattie Fowler, Kenzie’s younger sister, finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs in a four-run first inning. She took Kira White’s 28th pitch of the first for a single behind the first baseman’s head to make it 4-0.
“We just came out in the first and got an early lead,” Mattie said. “That helped us get some momentum in the game. (Kira) is a great pitcher and when she hits the outside corner, she’s tough to hit.
“I was trying to get a hold of anything and put it in play and get some things going.”
After the first, White returned to her regular form, responding with a quick 1-2-3 second inning while throwing only 11 pitches.
“I could’ve pitched better. CDO was on top of its game in the first,” said White, who is battling an injury and was on a pitch count. “I was a little nervous in the first inning. I pitched more inside than in last year’s championship game. ”
White was pulled in the fourth for Kaylee Prichett after Valerie Mendoza reached on an error, loading the bases. But Prichett got Courtney Solevella to fly out to end the threat.
“Once Kira got out of the first inning, we hung with them,” Sahuaro coach Steve Sanchez said. “I would she say she is about 70 percent and we had her on a pitch count. We know that if we are going to play at their level, we have to get better.”
CDO’s victory was its 12th in a row, while Sahuaro’s five-game winning streak was snapped.