By Don Ketchum

This year’s new Division I state softball championship game will be as nature (and power points) intended.

No. 1 Chandler Basha and No. 2 Mesa Red Mountain will meet on Monday (May 14) at 7:30 p.m. at Arizona State University’s Farrington Stadium. The two also met for the old Class 5A Division I title a year ago, and Red Mountain went home with the trophy.

Basha came through the back door on Friday night (May 11), defeating fifth-seeded Glendale Mountain Ridge 7-6 in a wild, back-and-forth elimination game at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix. Mountain Ridge had defeated Basha 6-0 earlier in the tournament.

Basha (33-5) trailed 6-5 when it scored what proved to be the winning runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two-run single by Nicole Matta.

Pitcher Kailey Regester did the rest, keeping Mountain Ridge (27-8) off the board for the final two innings.

Of course, the final inning came with a few anxious moments.

Mountain Ridge’s leadoff hitter reached on an infield error. With a pinch-runner at first base, Alyssa DiCarlo attempted to sacrifice the runner to second. She put down a punt and third baseman Kylie Shull fielded it and threw to second baseman Courtney Hiruko, who was covering first.

Hiruko noticed that the runner had rounded second base too far and fired the ball back to shortstop Hailey Maher, who tagged the runner out. Regester struck out the final batter.

“We did the stuff we needed to do,’’ said Basha coach Scott Hoffmeyer. “They (Mountain Ridge) have been playing great and they are right there with the elite teams. They have nothing to hang their head about.’’

Regester also had a big night with the bat. She had three hits and drove in three runs, including a two-run homer in the third inning that tied the game at 3. The Bears went on to take a 5-3 lead later in the inning on another two-run homer by Regester’s batterymate, catcher Hailee Siroky.

Mountain Ridge battled back to tie it in the fourth on a two-run homer by Ashley Soos, then took a 6-5 lead in the fifth on Maddie Handy’s high-chop single up the middle.

Monday’s title game will feature another strategic battle between Hoffmeyer and Red Mountain coach Rich Hamilton, who are longtime friends. The two teams met once this season, with Red Mountain winning in the (Scottsdale) Desert Mountain Tournament.

Hoffmeyer said he and Hamilton talk fairly often during the season and root for each other, but not this time.

“Monday is going to be a lot of fun,’’ Hoffmeyer said.