Yuma stays alive with shutout

Three Yuma softball teams were tested Thursday in the Class 5A-II State Softball Tournament, but only the old guard came up victorious as the Yuma High Criminals beat Phoenix-North 3-0 at home.

The Criminals play Anthem-Boulder Creek  at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Rose Mofford Field No. 1 in another elimination game after the Jaguars lost to No. 1 Sunrise Mountain 1-0.

Armed with a scouting report from the Cibola Raiders' victory over the Mustangs earlier in the tournament, Yuma head coach Liz Huyck expected to score more runs, but only got the three out of eight hits, leaving seven on base.

"We could have easily beaten them," Huyck told the team after the game. "Maybe it was a lack of focus, but we're moving on."

Criminal leadoff hitter Larissa Espinoza scored on Jessy Aguirre's RBI-double four batters later in the first inning.

North threatened several times as Yuma's defense committed three errors. The Mustangs' biggest threat came in the fourth inning as they loaded the bases with the help of an error and a walk, but Isabel Villalobos struck out the next three to end the inning.

"Isabel has really pulled through for us this season," Huyck said. "She's dug down deep when she's needed too."

Adding to the drama, "Lobos" - as her teammates call her - felt under the weather with a cough she attributed to her asthma. Villalobos said she didn't feel the extra pressure of being in an elimination game.

"When I have runners in scoring position, I don't try to let them get in my way with the next batters." she said. "I try to get the next batter and not worry about who is on base and who is not."

Yuma High manufactured two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead. Aguirre singled, advanced to second on a Marisa Madrigal bunt and took two more bases when the attempted force-out throw to second missed the second baseman.

"I told her to go (home)," Huyck said. "I saw it rolling out towards center field and thought I need to try to get another run."

Espinoza then brought in Margie Smith with an RBI-single for the final run.

"I was pleased with Jessy Aguirre," Huyck said. "She hit the ball for us and scored that run on second base. That was a spark that gave us two right there."