Caleb Gottry attends Chandler Preparatory Academy and is a member of the AIA’s Student SID program.

Having dominated in the 2A play-in game, the Chandler Prep Titans entered the post-season playoffs as the 11th seed underdog to the 6th seed Willcox Cowgirls. After a five-inning game, due to the mercy rule, Chandler Prep lost 15-5. The Titans, led by pitcher and lead-off hitter, Isa Guadian had clear goals going into this game on May 6th at Rose Mofford. Titan Assistant Coach Maza explained:

“The goals going anywhere was really just to keep the ball in play. Coach had a great plan to try to set that pitcher on edge and the girls accomplished our first inning goal—we got up three right away. Then, really, our goal throughout the game was just to stay in it.”

The Chandler Prep Titans played a great offensive first inning with three hits and three runs. Willcox followed suit, scoring their three lead-off hitters as well. The second inning was scoreless and Guadian and Willcox pitcher, junior Jesse Gonzalez were mark for mark with three strikeouts each until the third inning.

The Titans scored their last runs in the third. After senior Emily Curran and freshman Giada Lowman reached home on junior Grace Hathaway’s single, Gonzalez quickly struck out the bottom of the Titan line-up. Gonzalez threw five more strikeouts in the next two innings.

Guadian only walked two batters in the four innings she pitched, but the Cowgirls hard drives into the outfield ate into the Titans defensive momentum and Willcox scored four runs in the third inning and five in the fourth. Chandler Prep infielders were responsible for five of the six outs in those innings.

Offensively, Curran led the Titans in runs scored with two, but the Cowgirl defense did not give in easily, twice holding freshman Katelyn Chu on third and Hathaway on second until the end of the inning.

The game was mercy-ruled when Willcox went up by ten runs in the bottom of the fifth, with a final score of 15-5. Assistant Coach Maza has great faith in the coaching staff and team for the future of Titan softball:

“These two coaches (Coach Guadian and Coach Brodnik) that have coached for the past three years have really left a great amount of talent. Between freshman, a couple sophomores, and a couple juniors, there’s great talent for the future.”

Willcox continues their playoff run, playing in the quarterfinals against River Valley. Titan Up.