Finishing 5th in last season's state playoffs, the Gila Ridge Lady Hawks softball team have high aspirations for 2013 with the return of some solid core senior leadership.

They opened up season play against San Luis. Even though starting pitcher Nikki Kelland got off to a rough start, giving up a first inning run to the Lady Sidewinders; she would put up a dominating performance the rest of the way. Kelland would get 9 strikeouts and would not give up any more runs for the rest of the contest.

The Lady Hawk offense didn't waste time producing runs, scoring four in the bottom half of the first. Kaelin Fox would be critical in that effort, getting an RBI single and later scoring a run herself due to a wild pitch thrown by San Luis.

Gila Ridge would go on to win 15-1 in a game cut short to five innings; because of a mercy rule on points.