Chinle softball team hitting their stride

CHINLE

At times this season, the Chinle softball team was its worst enemy.

But the Lady Wildcats hit a turning point at the end of March when they gave Show Low, a team projected to earn a No. 8 seed in the Division III bracket, a run for their money.

“We finally found our identity and after that we started to play together,” Chinle coach Tim Su’e Su’e Liufau said. “We’re strong and we’re more focused working as a team instead of separating as individuals.”

In that contest, Liufau said his team had a chance to win but after tossing in a couple of errors, Show Low outscored his team 13 to 6.

“We had the bases loaded two different times but we did not bring any runners in,” he said. “We ended up losing 17-10.”

Since then Wildcats went 7-1 including last Friday’s 12-2 win over Round Valley in a shorten five-inning game. Chinle’s only blemish in that eight-game span was a 5-3 loss to No. 2 ranked Camp Verde.

“We were told that we were going to have a hard time against Round Valley and Camp Verde,” said Chinle catcher Shailyn Ayze, the only senior on the team.

Ayze said during the warm-ups there were still some doubts on whether their early season struggles would haunt them but after four innings the Wildcats played flawlessly, including the first three as Round Valley went three-up and three-down.

“I am so proud of these girls,” Liufau said. “They came out and played tight defense. We’re happy but we’re not satisfied.”

Offensively, the Wildcats scored in every inning including four in the second inning.

With runners in scoring position, Chinle junior right fielder Montoya Brady blasted a three-run homer as the Wildcats built a 6-0 advantage.

“I was challenged to hit a home run so I had that mindset to get one,” said Brady, who took advantage of a pitch that was left hanging down the middle.

“I knew that it had enough (power) to get over the fence,” she said.

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