Prep notebook: Chaparral’s softball season hits rough spot

The Scottsdale Chaparral softball team, ranked No. 3 last week in 4A Division I, suffered through an 0-5 stretch in the Nike Faster to First Tournament in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Furthermore, catcher Caitlin Melnychenko (hand) and third baseman Peach Luna (back) both suffered injuries that will hamper them in the foreseeable future.

A 2-0, extra-inning loss to Phoenix St. Mary’s on March 14 summed up the week. The Firebirds had a runner on third base with one out in a tie game in the bottom of the eighth inning, but she forgot to tag up on a deep fly ball that would have been the winning run.

St. Mary’s scored twice in the next frame for the victory, and Chaparral followed with three straight losses.

“We lost our confidence after that,” Chaparral coach Wes Little said.

WE HAVE A WINNER

There were several spring break baseball tournaments held last week and one local school managed to prevail. Phoenix Pinnacle captured the Sunrise Mountain Best of the West Tournament among a field of 20 teams from the Valley, Tucson and out of state.

Pinnacle knocked off Tucson Sabino in dominating fashion in the title game with a 16-0 victory.

Mesa Desert Ridge lost in the championship game (to Tucson Sahuaro) of the Victory Classic at Gilbert Highland High School.

Two out-of-state teams met for the Cleats Horizon National Invitation Tournament title with Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas beating Rocky Mountain High of Fort Collins, Colo., 8-0.

Technically there was no tournament champion in the Mesquite-Skyline tourney at Gilbert Mesquite and Mesa Skyline high schools, but Chandler High was the lone unbeaten squad, winning all five of its games.

STATE CHAMPS SQUARE OFF

Scottsdale Horizon, last season’s 5A-I baseball champ and Tempe Marcos de Niza, the 2007 5A-II champ, meet Wednesday afternoon in the Pima Region opener for both schools. Horizon is 10-6 and Marcos de Niza is 10-4 heading into the showdown. Both teams face Yuma schools today, Horizon hosting Kofa and Marcos visiting Yuma.

Tribune writer Les Willsey contributed to this report.