By Don Ketchum

The softball team from Peoria Sunrise Mountain appears to be rounding into top form after winning the championship of the Deer Valley-Sandra Day O’Connor Softball Festival on Saturday (March 19).

The Mustangs, who finished as the Class 4A Division I state runner-up to Vail Cienega last season, defeated Glendale Deer Valley 4-0 for the tourney title.

“We consistently swung the bat all weekend long. We put balls in play,’’ said Sunrise Mountain coach Nick Rizer.

The Mustangs only got three hits in the title game against Deer Valley ace Lauren Haeger, but made them count.

Sunrise Mountain pitcher Dani Bonnet scattered six hits against the Skyhawks. She also pitched five innings, giving up just two hits, in a 10-1 semifinal win over Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor earlier Saturday.

Due to a few scheduling conflicts with opponents, Sunrise Mountain played just two games before the tournament (winning both), but went on to win seven in the tournament to stand at 9-0. The Mustangs will play in another tournament in Huntington Beach, Calif., next weekend.

“By the time we’re done with that one, we will have played 16 games in 14 days,’’ Rizer said.

Shortly after returning, the Mustangs will travel to Vail, just outside Tucson, to see if they can get a bit of redemption against Cienega after losing to Cienega twice last season.

The players have been flexing their muscles thus far, hitting 11 home runs. Four have been hit by senior catcher Mickayla Heller and three by junior first baseman Melissa Sechrest.

“The girls have done a good job. We want to keep it going,’’ Rizer said.

Reaching the state title game would have a special meaning for Bonnet and Heller. That would mean they would have played for the title in all four years of their career. Sunrise Mountain won the Class 5A Division II title in 2008 and 2009 before moving to 4A-I last season.

DEER VALLEY-SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR SOFTBALL FESTIVAL

Final-day scores, Saturday, March 19

Tourney championship

Peoria Sunrise Mountain 4, Glendale Deer Valley 0

Semifinals

Sunrise Mountain 10, Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor 1

Deer Valley 8, Glendale Raymond S. Kellis 2

Consolation round

Championship

Chandler Hamilton 7, Peoria Liberty 1

Semifinals

Hamilton 13, Yuma Gila Ridge 2

Liberty 7, Prescott 4

Loser’s bracket games

Yuma Cibola 14, Phoenix North Canyon 4

Avondale Westview 11, Phoenix Thunderbird 2

Glendale Mountain Ridge 15, Tucson Cholla 3

Glendale Ironwood 16, Surprise Willow Canyon 6

Glendale Cactus 16, Phoenix Greenway 5