TEMPE — Buckeye Verrado scratched out two runs without getting a hit in the fourth inning to take the lead.
That would be enough for Joe Perez to win his third straight start in the Class 5A state tournament.
The right-hander shut down Nogales’ powerful hitters for 6 2/3 innings and the Vipers celebrated a 3-2 victory that earned them the state baseball championship Tuesday at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
It was the first state baseball title for the school in only its second state final appearance.
“He wants the ball,” Verrado coach Darrell Hatfield said about the senior. “He was incredible throughout the playoffs. He won back to back to back games.”
But Perez wasn’t able to finish the last game.
After striking out the first two batters in the seventh inning, Perez was met at the mound by his coach, who let him know he was running out of pitches.
Hatfield said that Perez was up to 104 pitches. He walked No. 9 batter Robert Gallego on four straight pitches. That ended his night.
Perez came back to the dugout to a standing ovation from the strong support of Verrado students and fans with a big smile on his face.
Nogales’ Robert Gallego jumps to catch a ball in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game.
Outfielder Thomas Chiappetti came on to get the last out on a strikeout.
Players dogpiled on each other in the infield to celebrate.
“I really wanted to go,” Perez said. “But I had trust in my teammate. I knew that we would come through.”
Nogales (31-4) was used to scratching out runs but couldn’t scratch out a couple of more on Tuesday. Nogales didn’t get a hit off of Perez until the fourth inning.
“He kept us off balance,” Nogales coach O.J. Favela said. “He spotted the ball in and out. He had a great tournament for them. He got hot. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get that third run in the fourth inning. Their second baseman was at the right spot.”
Verrado (26-5) scored first with Brenden Velez driving in a run in the top of the fourth on a two-out double.
Nogales's Alan Durazo high-fives teammate Julio Ramos after reaching home plate for Nogales second run of the game.
Nogales scored two runs in the fourth on two hits. With a runner on third and two outs, Luis Martin Romero lined sharply the second baseman to end the inning.
Verrado responded with two runs in the fifth on sacrifice flies from Brendan Killeen and Garrett Hicks.
“We struggled last year with injuries and didn’t play very well,” Hatfield said. “This season, they just battled all year. They embraced the underdog role.”
