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Mustang softball rides LaBovick's arm to state title
Bats steal show as junior hurler tosses no-hitter
You can bet Sunrise Mountain softball Coach Nick Rizer breathed a sigh of relief when he heard his ace would be available to pitch in Saturday night's 5A Div. II state title game.
It would have been a different story if the game were the night before.
"Yesterday Jamie (LaBovick) was sick, and we didn't know if we'll have her tonight," Rizer said. "She came out this morning, though, and said she could go. Jamie is a gamer, she's our work horse."
"I woke up yesterday with a temperature of 101.3," said the junior pitcher. "But I went to school anyway. I felt if I wanted to play today I had to go to school."
If LaBovick wasn't 100 percent Saturday night, she didn't show it on the mound during the No. 2 seed Mustangs' 10-0 win against No. 9 seed Ironwood Ridge (19-13-1), securing the school's second title in three years and Rizer's first at Sunrise Mountain's helm. It also was the first state championship game at the 5A level to end by the 10-run limit rule.
"The thing about our 2006 championship was that it was our first and it came against Centennial, so that was pretty special," Rizer said. "But this one is pretty special, too."
LaBovick set down the first 15 batters, and after a sixth inning error gave Ironwood Ridge its first base runner, LaBovick retired the next three hitters. She finished with seven strikeouts and went to one three-ball count while throwing 66 pitches, and moved her season record to 21-2.
"I didn't know I had a no-hitter until my dad pointed it out later," LaBovick said.
The junior threw a no-hitter earlier this season, however, this one holds a little more significance for obvious reasons - it being a title game - and not so obvious reasons. It may well have been the first no-hitter in state tournament championship game history. Arizona Interscholastic Association officials could not find information on whether the feat had happened before.
While the Sunrise Mountain ace kept the Nighthawk hitters off balance, the Mustang batters ratcheted up the pressure early on. They tallied 13 hits, including a fourth inning homerun by junior lead off hitter Brigette DelPonte.
"I was extra nervous going into tonight's game, and even though I wish the game was closer, it was still nerve-wracking," said shortstop DelPonte. "With close games it keeps the energy level and intensity level up for those of us in the field and on the bench. Not that winning this way was a bad thing."
DelPonte opened the game lining Ironwood Ridge pitcher Kelsey Groff's first pitch off the left field for a double. The Mustang shortstop scored one out later on LaBovick's groundout to short.
While things got started early for Sunrise Mountain (35-2), the sixth inning was what mattered. Second baseman Felicia Wilson smacked a one out single off Groff's right shin, sending the senior to the ground in pain, however, she was able to finish the game. Catcher Mickayla Heller with another single, and after Wilson was thrown out at third on a fielder's choice, first baseman Dani Bonnet knocked a single up the middle scoring the Mustang's winning run, touching off a celebration at home plate.
In between the first and the sixth, it was all Mustangs, too.
Heller led it off with a base hit to left field, and one out later Bonnet punched a single to center, moving the Mustang catcher to third, who beat the throw from second baseman Laken Anway allowing Bonnet to reach second. Designated player Brandi Manning lined a base hit up the middle that went under center fielder Kristina Moore's for a two-base error, and scoring two runs. Right fielder Taylor Rauscher followed with a single to right and DelPonte walked, Kara Holtorf sacrificed the runners over. LaBovick then came up with base hit that went off the third baseman's backhanded stab into left field, scoring Rauscher.
"Certainly we didn't expect this kind of outcome, but the girls really came to play today," Rizer said. "We've played well all year, but to come out like we did tonight was great. We know we'll get the pitching, but it was nice to see the bats come along as well."
Sunrise Mountain's hot hitting continued in the fourth, starting with DelPonte pulling a 1-and-1 pitch for a one-out homerun. Holtorf then laced a single up the middle and proceeded to steal second and third before scoring on LaBovick's base hit to center. She would score two batters later on left fielder Destinee DeHerrera's sacrifice fly to center to make the game 9-0.
And while the Mustang bats were clicking, LaBovick was inducing ground ball out after ground ball out. The only recorded out that did not come by way of strike out or ground out came in the second inning.
Left fielder Rachel Chapman blooped a pitch that DelPonte had to twist, reach over her head and dive to haul the play in. That was the closest the Nighthawks were to having a hit in the game.
"Jamie has been our work horse all year and she just wants the ball," Rizer said. "So when she's out there, we don't expect her to get knocked around. She's our big game pitcher.
"The one thing is, throughout this season the girls have worked toward the same goal. After Wednesday's game, there was just this sense that we felt there was one more game to go. So, we treated this game, and all the others in the playoffs as just another game."
Ironwood Ridge coach Randy Anway was hesitant to call his team's run to the finals an improbable run, but it's hard to overlook the fact that to get to this point the Nighthawks had to beat top seeded Deer Valley (28-5) in the second round, and No. 4 seed Horizon (27-7) twice - in the third round and the semifinals.
"I don't think we had such an improbable run, we expected to be here, but things didn't go our way," Anway said. "Meanwhile, (Sunrise Mountain) played well, but they also got the bounces and took advantage of them."
DelPonte was the offensive star for Sunrise Mountain, going 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and a walk. LaBovick also helped at the plate with a 2-for-4 night that included two singles, an RBI and two runs scored. Bonnet also went 2-for-3 with two hits and the game-ending RBI. In the end, it was a team effort for the Mustangs, with each starter collecting a hit.
