Wednesday night was a memorable one for recent Queen Creek graduate Cece Marquez. 
But it wasn't because she was awarded Most Valuable Player after the Arizona Softball Coaches Association All-Star game. 

"This was just a really special week and night because I was able to play with my teammates one last time," Marquez said.

"It was also really cool getting to know other girls we played against and seeing how they handled themselves."

Playing for the 6A squad, Marquez helped her team to an 8-5 victory over the 5A/4A All-Stars in the event played at Eastmark High School.

The University of Texas El Paso bound Marquez had three hits and two RBI's, catalyzing a four-run first inning with a triple that scored Bulldog teammate Corie Shull. Corona del Sol's Abby Ritchard--another UTEP committ--added her own RBI double in the first inning. Highland's Savanna Issacson drove in the fourth run of the inning, setting the tone for the 6A victory. 

The 5A/4A team left eight total runners on base for the game, including six in scoring position.

 

Corona del Sol’s Alyssia Munoz gets the 6A All-Stars out of another inning with the bases loaded, forcing this groundout to preserve a 6-0 lead going into the 5th inning pic.twitter.com/ju1MZDYO86

— Ben Stapley (@AZpreps365Ben) May 30, 2024

 

 

"There are so many great teams and players we see during the season," Marquez said. "It's fun to see how they handle themselves during a game."

 

Skyline's Alyssa Antillon drove in the 6A's seventh run in the seventh inning before Marquez drove her in to give the 6A an 8-1 lead.

For the 5A/4A team, Eastmark's Taylor McCombs sparked a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning, driving in two runs on a double. Tamryn Tucker (Campo Verde) and Ana Alvarez (Mesquite) also drove in seventh inning runs for the 5A/4A, closing the gap to three runs (8-5).

In the fifth inning Williams Field's Taylor Sykes nearly cleared the fence in left-center field, resulting in the 5A/4A team's first run.