Kaitlyn Terry's pitching heroics, two-run homer lifts Greenway softball over Coconino

Greenway's senior left-handed pitcher/shortstop Kaitlyn Terry again showed why she has been quite possibly the best pitcher and hitter in Arizona this high school softball season.

She racked up 15 strikeouts and launched a two-run home run to help lift No. 2 Greenway over No. 7 Coconino, 6-2, in the second round of the 4A softball tournament Tuesday night.

"I came out a little rough at the plate," said Terry. "But just coming back out pitching made my mindset and having my team behind me was great."

According to the AIA, Terry has led 4A in every major hitting and pitching category all season, including HRs (22) RBI (67) batting average (.701) slugging (2.00) runs (73) on-base percentage (.831), ERA (.023), wins (23) and strikeouts (365). She is second in steals. All of those numbers also puts Terry among the statewide leaders from among any conference in most categories, including first in home runs, slugging percentage, runs scored and ERA and second in RBI.

She's a major reason Greenway emerged as the No. 2 seed in the AIA 4A championship tournament.

The start of Tuesday's game was a pitcher's duel between Terry and Coconino starting pitcher Kaitlyn Tso. It wasn't until the bottom of the fourth inning that a run was scored.

Freshman outfielder Ciera Upshaw slapped a hit to right field for a triple followed by a fielding error by Coconino's first baseman off of a grounder by senior third baseman Ariel Chandler, which gave Greenway the early lead of 1-0.

Two at-bats later, Terry crushed a two-run homer over the left-field wall to extend the Demons' lead to three. Sophomore/utility player Kaitlyn Bennett added a single the very next at-bat and advanced to third after stealing second followed by a fielding error. She came home on a fielder's choice to give Greenway a four-run inning.

The Demons tacked on two more runs thanks to a sac fly from freshman catcher Bella Morris followed up by a two-out RBI double from sophomore shortstop Taylor Borup to give the Demons their sixth run of the game.

"The team's performance between the first round and second round greatly improved," said Greenway head coach Janna Frandrup. "We played as a team, we executed, we got bunts down, the energy was up and an all-around team win."

Coconino rallied for two runs in the top of the 7th, but it wouldn't be enough as Terry struck out the final Coconino batter to end the game.

Last season, the Greenway also finished the regular season at No. 2, but their postseason ended after losing to Mingus Union in the second round and again to them in the second round of the loser's bracket.

This season feels different. They've dispatched their first two postseason opponents by a combined winning margin of 10-3. Frandup is quick to note the success so far goes beyond Terry's on-field dominance.

"We play as a family," said Coach Frandrup. "(The girls) hang out outside of the softball field and we pick each other up."

"Everybody is mentally prepared," said Terry. "We all come together as one, we have fun, we cheer, outside of softball we're together always."

For subscribers: Breaking down the Arizona high school softball playoffs

The Demons will face No. 6 Paradise Honors Saturday in a quarterfinal game. Greenway swept the Panthers in the season series 2-0, but Frandrup expects a better-prepared Paradise Honors team, which knocked off No. 14 Flagstaff Tuesday 9-1.

"They're going to be hungry just as we are," said Frandrup. "Our girls are on fire, and we're hungry for that next round. We'll be fine, we just have to stay levelheaded, continue to play hungry and as a team."

Terry has committed to play softball for UCLA next year. She wants to leave Greenway as a champion.

"It's one of my things I've been trying to get (my teammates) to go for since my freshman year," said Terry. "Even though my freshman year was (during) COVID, but I want them to go for it this year."

Greenway will play Paradise Honors on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at the Papago Softball Complex in Phoenix.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pitching heroics, 2-run homer lifts Greenway softball over Coconino