SUNDEVILS: Strong pitching leads the way

Eldorado may have a new softball coach this year, but the players are virtually the same ones that led the Sundevils to the Sunrise Region championship game last season.

Armed with two of the best pitchers in town and plenty of experience, Eldorado, which placed second in Sunrise to Silverado last year, appears to have a good shot to win the region this season.

"They've been playing great and I really expect us to get better and better as the season goes along," first-year coach Anthony Elliott said. "Once the playoffs start, we'll be a really tough team to beat."

Pitchers Brently Bridgeforth and Crystal Alspaugh sparked the Sundevils to a 7-2 start and a No. 7 ranking in Southern Nevada in a recent Las Vegas Review-Journal poll.

Bridgeforth, a junior, was 3-1 with a 1.30 ERA at press time, striking out an incredible 47 batters while walking just five in 27 innings. She hurled a no-hitter against Mojave, striking out 14 while walking none.

Alspaugh started her senior year with a 4-1 record, a 1.70 ERA and 35 strikeouts and 10 walks in 33 innings.

"We probably have the best 1-2 pitching combination on our side of the city," Elliott said. "Crystal's got a lot of different pitches. She's got five pitches and that helps her a lot. Brently relies on pure speed. She's a power pitcher."

Alspaugh led the team with a .440 batting average at press time.

"Our pitching and definitely our defense have been very strong so far, but we haven't overpowered anyone at the plate," Elliott said. "We're waiting for our hitting to come around. With our pitching, we can pretty much hold any team until our bats come around."

Tiffany Mathews, a senior catcher, hit .308 with a team-high eight RBIs through the team's first nine games, but Elliott is most impressed with her leadership.

"Senior leadership is one of our best attributes, with Tiffany behind the plate," he said. "She's one of the toughest girls I've ever met. Absolute leadership. Being a catcher, she takes hold of the team and kind of directs them, and the other kids look up to her."

Other returning starters include junior shortstop April Keith and junior third baseman Renee Gervais, who was hitting .421 to start the year.

Other returnees include junior left fielder Stephanie Reschke, junior right fielder/pitcher Stephanie Ollila, and senior center fielder Emily Gubler.

Other players expected to contribute to the cause include freshman second baseman/outfielder Michelle Walsh, sophomore first baseman Jeriann Martin, junior second baseman/outfielder Jill Thompson and junior outfielder Megan Powell.

Elliott said it looks like a wide-open race to the state tournament this year.

"There's not one team really dominating everyone else (in Southern Nevada)," he said. "Our goals are to go to the state tournament and we expect to be one of the top three teams to go to state from our side of the city."

Although teams from Northern Nevada, including defending state champion Wooster, have won the softball state title seven years in a row, Elliott said the Sundevils have a shot.

"I've heard about the northern teams, but anything can happen," he said. "There's not a team I feel we can't beat."