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Copper Basin News
Talk about a tough draw.
The eighth-seeded Hayden softball team, which had earned a first-round bye, defeated ninth-seeded Mohave Accelerated in lopsided fashion in the second round, 13 – 3.
For their reward, the Lobos had to face the playoffs top-seeded team, Veritas Prep and perhaps the state’s best pitcher, Lainey Stephenson.
Stephenson looked every bit the best pitcher, allowing only two hits and striking out 16 Lady Lobos’ hitters in the complete-game 4 – 0 shutout loss.
Hayden finished its season with a record of 13 – 11.
Andy Luberda (1149 Posts)Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management.
Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles.
In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014.
He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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