West Sedona School’s quest to defend last spring’s surprise Verde Valley League baseball title comes this season with a call to arms.

That is what the Wildcats softball team needs on the mound to avoid any more 24-2 or 14-4 losses, as it has endured its first two games.

“Pretty much everyone’s returning,” head coach Barbra Robles said. “We have really good defense and hitting. Our only problem is the pitching spot.”

Eighth-graders Desiray Davis and Nicole Kleva are new to the position, as are their batterymates behind the plate, eighth-grader Rachel Durst and seventh-grader Tiffany Arenas at catcher.

“We have a good core of 13 girls,” Robles said. “It just won’t show if we keep walking people. We can’t get anybody out.”

When they’re not pitching, they’re playing the infield for West Sedona along with eighth-graders Iliana Ortiz, Odalis Robles and Christina Schweiss, backed up by seventh-grade newcomer Aria Harness.

Seventh-graders Soraya Movassaghi and Diana Zahn take over in the outfield with sixth-graders Leslie Suarez and Tiana Trujillo, who battle for the starting center fielder job.

“We’re working on scoring runs,” Robles said. “Produce more than they did last year. The other girls can’t do anything about pitching.”

That is a luxury head baseball coach Pedro Ortega can boast since his team upset Camp Verde Middle School for the championship of the league tournament last season. Eighth-graders Bradley Howard and Angel Betancourt each are moving up a spot in the starting pitching rotation. Howard will be the ace and, Ortega hopes, Evan Favorite will be the closer when they are not playing the left side of the infield.

“I’m working on it,” Ortega said. “We had a couple of easy games.”

For the full story and schedule, please see the Friday, March 13, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.