Red Mountain pitcher Taylor Trowbridge was a force Tuesday afternoon guiding the #7 Mountain Lions to the 6A softball semifinals by tossing a no-hitter at #2 Hamilton in a 7-0 triumph at Hamilton High.

Both teams were among the hottest in the conference coming into postseason. Hamilton entered the game with a 13-game winning streak and Red Mountain had claimed 10 of its last 11.

Trowbridge wasn't close to perfection, but this playoff masterpiece was painted carefully against a team that usually punishes the opposition especially given the power the Huskies (16-6) displayed (42 home runs in 21 games). The shutout loss was the only one suffered this season by Hamilton. Trowbridge was the winning pitcher in a regular-season matchup with Hamilton, 11-5, back in March. 

On the flip side, Red Mountain collected 14 hits - all singles - and tallied three-run rallies in the third and sixth innings to give Trowbridge a comfort zone.

Trowbridge, a junior, allowed eight batters to reach base - four via walk, three hit by pitch and one on an error. No runs. No hits. In the end a no-hitter is a no-hitter. She finished with 10 strikeouts, including the final batter of the game looking.

"A no-hitter, no-hitter," Red Mountain coach Rich Hamilton said, not with so much surprise as pride. "And a no-hitter against that  team...

"Taylor followed the game plan she and (pitching coach) Bre (Macha-Peterson) put together. She worked them inside. Pitching to her strength and their weakness. Were there some walks and hit batters? That's goes with the territory pitching that way. Overall this was the most complete game we played all year."

Red Mountain (17-5) earned a home game in its semifinal on Thursday. The Mountain Lions host #11 seed Shadow Ridge. Shadow Ridge eliminated #3 Queen Creek, 5-3, in its quarterfinal. Shadow Ridge beat #6 Desert Vista in the first round.

Red Mountain's first run came in the second inning off Hamilton starter Allison Weyandt. Two singles and a walk - the second single a bloop to left that popped in and out of the glove of diving left fielder Quinn Salazar-Steward, gave Trowbridge a run to work with. Red Mountain cranked out six singles and three runs in the third. RBI were racked up by Paige Wrigth, Alixe DeAnde and Nichole Armijo.

If Red Mountain's three-spot in the top of the inning didn't deflate Hamilton, the repercussion of the Huskies' first at-bat in the bottom of the inning left a lasting mark. Senior Loganne Stepp fouled out to the catcher, but the home plate umpire took a look at the bat Stepp used and determined it was illegal - one of two models a manufacturer makes - one legal to use and the other not. It was determined to be the illegal one. By rule Stepp was ejected from the game as was head coach Rocky Parra.

"I understand the rule, but I think it is too harsh a penalty to eject the coach as well," Hamilton said.

Trowbridge hit two batters with pitches in the same inning and issued a walk loading the bases with two outs. A routine fly to center shut down the inning.

A five-hit, sixth inning by Red Mountain put the outcome to bed. Trowbridge, Wright and Lina Ellis knocked in the runs. Every Red Mountain hitter collected at least one hit.

 

 

 

 

 

#7 Red Mountain (16-5) vs. #2 Hamilton (16-5)