For anyone who believes momentum doesn't exists in the world of sports, the two-day, two-city, second-round playoff matchup between the Flagstaff Eagles and Poston Butte Broncos may sway your opinion ever so slightly.
While the National Weather Service's report showed just 0.1 of an inch of rain fell on Tuesday, it was still enough to wash out not only Flagstaff's home playoff game against Poston Butte, but the high-powered offenses on display for the first two innings played up at elevation.
After a combined total of 14 runs crossed home plate on Tuesday afternoon, just four more followed on Wednesday when the game continued at Sandra Day O'Connor High School in north Phoenix as the No. 14 seed Broncos' 11-7 victory sent the No. 6 Eagles into the elimination bracket of the 4A Conference state tournament. Flagstaff will host No. 10 Walden Grove, who will make the four-hour trip from Sahuarita, at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
Trailing 8-6 in the top of the third inning when the game was suspended, the Flagstaff Eagles had just rallied back from an early 8-0 deficit as the rain arrived. The Eagles' offense needed a few innings to string together a few hits on Wednesday, with their first threat coming in the bottom of the fifth after the Broncos had extended the lead to 9-6.
Seniors Hallie Watkins and Haley Cody connected for back-to-back one-out singles, but a sacrifice bunt attempt could only move Cody up to second while Watkins held at third. With two down in the fifth, a grounder to first base ended the inning. Then a leadoff double by sophomore Mia Garcia and a passed ball immediately put a runner in scoring position in the sixth, but Poston Butte erased the threat with a throw home on a hard-hit ball to shortstop.
Junior Ryleigh Alex singled with one out, but Flagstaff needed a two-out single by sophomore Tatum Alex to score its lone run of the inning. However, the Broncos answered back with a two-out, two-run homer by Kimberly Westover, her 13th of the season, and pushed Poston Butte's lead to 11-7 in the seventh inning.
The Eagles once again put two runners on base via a single by Cody and a walk for sophomore Sophia Garcia, but an infield fly and a double play ended the game just three pitches later.
Prior to the game's suspension and shift down to the Valley, the Eagles and Broncos traded offensive blows through the first two innings.
The Broncos jumped out to an 8-0 lead as 16 batters came to the plate in the first two innings.
Stringing together two doubles, two singles and a hit batter in its first five plate appearances of the game, Poston Butte held a 4-0 lead before the first out was recorded. Junior Cailee Culwell worked out of the first inning jam by striking out a batter looking with runners on first and second with one down and then inducing a forceout at third for the final out.
However, Poston Butte continued the pressure in the second as its top four batters in the order reached base once again before Culwell retired three straight to end the inning. Culwell recorded two of the outs herself on a comebacker and a strikeout, while Tatum Alex held Poston Butte to just a sacrifice fly with a sliding catch in center field for the second out of the inning.
Answering back just as the rain began to fall, Flagstaff scored six runs in the bottom of the second inning.Â
Just four pitches into its half of the second inning, Flagstaff was on the board as Watkins opened the inning with a solo homer to left. After both Cody and Sophia Garcia singled, a one-out double by Mia Garcia and a sacrifice fly by junior Mayla Speer brought the score to 8-3.
Ryleigh Alex drove in Flagstaff's fourth run of the inning with a hard-hit ball to the pitcher, scoring Mia Garcia, before coming home to score on a towering homer over the center-field fence by Culwell. The second home run of the inning brought the Eagles back within two runs at 8-6, but the rain became too much just three batters into the top of the third.
Cody finished the two-part game with three hits, followed by two apiece for Culwell, Watkins, Tatum Alex and Mia Garcia. After Culwell pitched the first 2 1/3 innings for the Eagles, Mia Garcia took over in the circle when the game continued on Wednesday. Garcia struck out one batter in her 4 2/3 innings, walking one and allowing five hits.