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Tianna Salazar lifted the AZ Dynasty to the ASA 12u A state championship Saturday at Rio Vista Park in Peoria, beating the Casa Grande Heat 4-0.
Salazar pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout. The young hurler took a no-hitter bid into the sixth inning before Jordan Keeton lined a single to left.
Salazar struck out two and walked two.
Dynasty took a 2-0 lead into the top of the seventh inning and put the game away on Alyssa DiCarlo’s two-run double.
Valerie Vidal started off the inning with a walk and moved to second on an infield single by leadoff batter Avianna Davis. After both runners advanced on a sac bunt by Alexis Gonzalez, Davis plated them when sent sent a pitch into left-center.
Davis finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Dynasty broke a 0-0 tie in the top of the fourth when Jaymee Lawton reached base on a fielder’s choice and scored on a single by Salazar.
In addition to pitching well, Salazar showed up at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
Dynasty nearly put one more on the board in the inning when Marisa Carasco reached first on an error. Courtesy runner Samantha Campbell advanced to third on the play and then took off for home. Heat first baseman Keeton made a heads-up play and tossed the ball home to catcher Anita Loaiza, who blocked the plate and made the tag for the out.
Dynasty added one more run in the fifth inning when Mikayla Johnson doubled to left and scored on a single by Gonzalez.
The Heat moved a runner to third base in the fourth and fifth innings but failed to score.
Keeton walked to start the bottom of the fourth inning and moved to third on a sac bunt and groundout before Salazar induced a ground out to short to end the threat.
Following Keeton’s two-out base hit in the fifth, Kristin McCann reached on an error before Salazar induced another inning-ending groundout.
Heat pitcher Britney Gonzalez pitched well and kept her team in the game. She did not let up a big hit outside of the doubles by DiCarlo and Johnson She struck out three and walked two. |