It wasn’t the first meeting between ace pitchers Mackenzie Popescue and Kenzie Fowler, and it certainly won’t be the last. But it’s one that won’t soon be forgotten.

Popescue and her Scottsdale Chaparral softball teammates made a surprising run to the 4A-I state finals last season, losing 1-0 to Fowler and Tucson Canyon del Oro.

The game was a classic, with the Dorados scratching out a run in the ninth inning for a victory.

“It was phenomenal to watch,” Chaparral coach Wes Little said. “It was competitive the whole way. It was by far, in my opinion, the best state championship game last year.”

It’s something that those in the Arizona softball world are used to seeing.

“Me and her have been battling against each other since we were 10 years old,” Popescue said. “That’s what we’ve been known as since we were about 10, ‘The Dueling Kenzies’.”

And it’s something that isn’t going away any time soon. Both pitchers are juniors this year, and Chaparral is currently ranked second in the state, right behind No. 1 Canyon del Oro.

With Popescue and Fowler back next season, both teams will be on the short list of favorites once again. And the rivalry won’t end in high school.

Fowler has committed to play college softball at Arizona, Popescue at Arizona State.
“It’s going to go on for a long time,” Popescue said.

The focus for Popescue, though, is the here and now. The Firebirds weren’t supposed to be this good so quickly, when a team stocked with underclassmen made that championship game last year.

And now nearly every key piece returns to the diamond for the Firebirds.

“Definitely our expectation is to make it there again,” Popescue said.

Popescue first picked up a softball at the age of 9, seven years after starting out in tennis with tennis pro dad Mike as the coach.

Popescue liked both sports well enough, but playing tennis messed with her swing in softball and vice versa, so she had to choose.

“I kind of fell in love with softball,” she said.

The buzz around her was palpable when she enrolled as a freshman at Chaparral, but Little — then an assistant — wanted to see her before making any bold predictions.

“We’d heard a lot about her,” Little said. “You always hear the hype when a kid comes in. A lot of times, that’s what it is — hype. They don’t pan out. But she was a kid that had a passion for the game, and she came in as a freshman head and shoulders above the rest.”

Popescue was the No. 1 pitcher on varsity as a freshman, and last year went 20-5 with a 0.58 ERA on the mound. At the plate she batted .478 with 42 RBIs.
And watch out, Little said now she’s even better.

“She has really matured as a player and as a person,” Little said. “Her work ethic is just unbelievable. She wants to pitch all the time, whether it be in practice or in a game.

“She’s just that type of kid. This year, it’s neat to watch her because she’s channeled that competitiveness and she’s really become a team player.”

Canyon del Oro and Chaparral don’t have a scheduled regular-season game this season, although they could see each other in the Desert Mountain tournament.

If not, many expect them to meet in the championship game again.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the ‘Dueling Kenzies’.