PHOENIX β It didn't matter to senior pitcher Nick Estrella that Ironwood Ridge was ahead by two runs leading into the top of the seventh inning, with closer Christian Pearcy getting loose. He wasn't leaving the mound.
Estrella hurled another complete game with eight strikeouts to send the 10th-seeded Nighthawks past No. 19 Mesa Westwood for a 4-2 win in the Division II state quarterfinals at Maryvale Baseball Stadium on Saturday.
βAfter the second inning they didn't really hit the ball hard, they were just kind of hitting bloopers,β Estrella said. βI knew I had them all game. I knew I could get them. This is the best feeling I've ever felt. We've been together for a long time and my team doesn't let anyone push us around.β
I-Ridge plays No. 5 Phoenix Greenway on Thursday at Maryvale Baseball Park on Thursday, for a trip to the Division II state championship game. It's the first trip back to the semifinals since 2013 for the Nighthawks.
βAll you want as a coach is for someone to want the moment and want the baseball,β I-Ridge coach Dennis Toia said. βThat was Nick today. He would not have let me take him out, I said we're putting Pearcy in, but he told me he's feeling great and he had a plan. What am I going to do, tell him no?β
Westwood etched across two runs in the top of the second inning, but I-Ridge struck back with a two-run home run that cleared the left field fence by senior Derek Daly.
βHe actually just hit a home run in a major league stadium," Pearcy said. "It picked our energy right back up.β
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, Pearcy drove a single into left field to score two runs for a 4-2 lead.
βI walked up with bases loaded and wasn't nervous,β Pearcy said. βAfter the first pitch, I realized it was just another at-bat. He threw me a curveball that broke right back into the zone. Balls will start falling at the right time, and luckily that was one of them.β
Powered by a bond and a sense of disrespect I-Ridge was seeded so low, Pearcy said he and his teammates are out to shock the world.
βRight when we figured out we were a 10-seed, we wanted to show them we're not,β Pearcy said. βWe went out here and got after it. I think we've proved we're not a 10-seed; we're here to battle, not just get here.β
Defending champ CDO moves on in loser's bracket
PHOENIX β Keith Francis decided to let his team be in the dugout during the top of the seventh inning. The Dorados trailed No. 2 Glendale Apollo by two runs in an elimination game in the Division II state tournament at Maryvale Baseball Stadium.
The decision paid off.
No. 6 Canyon del Oro rallied to score three runs in the frame on one single, two passed balls, three walks (two intentional) and one sacrifice fly on its way to upsetting the Hawks 5-4.
The Dorados will play No. 1 Phoenix Thunderbird at Maryvale Baseball Stadium on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., in another elimination game.
βThey kind of got fired up when I left them alone,β Francis said. βI told them we're taking the first strike, but other than that, they knew what they had to do. I just didn't know whether they'd do it or not, to be honest with you.β
CDO trailed Apollo 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning, when the Hawks elected to intentionally walk senior slugger Tristan Peterson with the bases loaded to bring in the Dorados first run of the game. Senior Spencer Packard tied the game in the next at-bat with a RBI fielder's choice.
In the next frame, Packard dropped a routine fly ball right field with two outs to allow a pair of runs to score as the Hawks took a 4-2 lead.
Senior starting pitcher Jake Tucker quieted the Apollo bats all game, as he struck out two and gave up just one hit through six innings pitched.
βI was just really concentrated on keeping our team in it,β Tucker said. βI knew we needed this win.β
Despite the error, Francis was impressed with his team's competitiveness and refusal to give in.
βWe played horrible,β Francis said. βOur pitcher threw so great. We made some mistakes, but these guys just don't quit.β
Carrasco's three-run double helps Tucson High stay alive
PHOENIX β Tucson High baseball coach Oscar Romero looked over at Raymond Carrasco on the bench during the top of the seventh inning on Saturday. With two outs and the bases loaded in a tie game, Romero asked the freshman if he was ready to pinch-hit.
Carrasco came through with a three-run double to help lead the ninth-seeded Badgers past No. 4 Paradise Valley 7-5 in an elimination games in the Division II state tournament.
Tucson plays No. 19 Mesa Westwood at Maryvale Baseball Stadium on Tuesday at 4 p.m in another win-or-go-home game.
βI was very nervous, but I just locked in and told myself I had to do this for my team, do not let them down,β Carrasco said. βI took a breath and just went with it. I can't explain what I was feeling on second base, I was speechless. Its a moment I'll never forget, it feels like I just earned the respect of the varsity team.β
Senior starting pitcher Jose Contreras hung in to turn in a gutsy performance β despite missing his best stuff β to toss a complete game with six strikeouts. After Carrasco drove in the go-ahead runs, Contreras felt a wave of emotion overcome him before stepping back onto the mound to finish the game in the seventh inning.
βIt brought me to tears, I couldn't believe we did it,β Contreras said. βThis could have been my last game as a senior, I had to leave it all out there. I could not have done this without my teammates.β
The Badgers scored two quick runs in the first two innings thanks to three bunts and a Trojan error. Paradise Valley tied the game in the bottom of the second inning with a RBI triple followed by a RBI single.
βI told our guys we just need to make sure we had good approaches at the plate and we just have to get one hit at a time, one single at a time,β Romero said. βGive me your best effort. They battled through and got some clutch hits when we needed it.β
POSTSEASON GLANCE
BASEBALL
DIVISION II STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, double-elimination after second round. Winner-take-all championship game)
First-round results
No. 9 Tucson 2, No. 24 Scottsdale Notre Dame 1 (11 innings)
No. 10 Ironwood Ridge 5, No. 23 Mountain View 3
No. 19 Mesa Westwood 7, No. 14 Catalina Foothills 5
No. 21 Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain 8, No. 21 Sierra Vista Buena 2
No. 11 Cave Creek Cactus Shadows 9, No. 22 Cienega 3
Second-round results
No. 19 Mesa Westwood 8, No. 3 Salpointe Catholic 7 (8 innings)
No. 6 Canyon del Oro 5, No. 11 Cave Creek Cactus Shadows 3
No. 10 Ironwood Ridge 3, No. 7 Sunnyside 1 (8 innings)
No. 9 Tucson 3, No. 8 Buckeye Verrado 1
Third-round results (double elimination)
No. 19 Mesa Westwood 4, No. 6 Canyon del Oro 2
No. 1 Phoenix Thunderbird 4, No. 9 Tucson 2
No. 10 Ironwood Ridge 7, No. 2 Glendale Apollo 3
Saturdayβs winner quarterfinal results (double elimination)
No. 10 Ironwood Ridge 4, No. 19 Mesa Westwood 2
Saturdayβs loser bracket, first-round results (single elimination)
No. 6 Canyon del Oro 5, No. 2 Glendale Apollo 4
No. 9 Tucson 7, No. 4 Phoenix Paradise Valley 5
Loser bracket, second round (single elimination) β Tuesday at Maryvale Baseball Park
No. 6 Canyon del Oro vs. No. 1 Phoenix Thunderbird, 6:30 p.m.
No. 9 Tucson vs. No. 19 Mesa Westwood, 4 p.m.
Winner semifnals (double elimination) β Thursday at Maryvale Baseball Park
No. 10 Ironwood Ridge vs. No. 5 Phoenix Greenway, 6:30 p.m.
DIVISION III STATE TOURNAMENT
(32 teams, single elimination)
First-round results
No. 2 Nogales 7, No. 31 Empire 0
No. 7 Sahuarita 4, No. 26 Glendale Cactus 1
No. 17 Payson 8, No. 16 Rio Rico 7
No. 12 Phoenix Washington 8, No. 21 Walden Grove 7
Second-round results
No. 7 Sahuarita 7, No. 10 Maricopa 1
No. 18 Phoenix Northwest Christian 5, No. 2 Nogales 2
Saturdayβs quarterfinal results
No. 7 Sahuarita 2, No. 18 Phoenix Northwest Christian 1
Semifinals β Friday at Surprise Baseball Complex
No. 7 Sahuarita vs. No. 6 San Luis, time TBD
DIVISION IV STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, single elimination)
First-round results
No. 12 Catalina 4, No. 21 Flagstaff Northland Prep 2
No. 13 Benson 4, No. 20 Tempe Prep 0
No. 18 Phoenix Valley Christian 9, No. 15 Tanque Verde 3
No. 22 Amphitheater 12, No. 11 Chinle 0
Second-round results
No. 1 Desert Christian 12, No. 17 Morenci 2
No. 7 Pueblo 7, No. 10 Sedona Red Rock 1
No. 5 Yuma Catholic 2, No. 12 Catalina 1
No. 4 Apache Junction 8, No. 13 Benson 7
No. 6 Buckeye 5, No. 22 Amphitheater 0
Saturdayβs quarterfinal results
No. 1 Desert Christian 5, No, 8 Camp Verde 4
No. 2 Glendale Joy Christian 3, No. 7 Pueblo 0
Semifinals β Friday at Goodyear Baseball Complex
No. 4 Apache Junction vs. No. 1 Desert Christian, time TBD
DIVISION V STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, single elimination)
First-round results
No. 10 Elfrida Valley Union 18, No. 23 Sanders Valley 2 (5 innings)
No. 11 St. Augustine Catholic 10, No. 22 Mogollon 0 (5 innings)
No. 9 Kearny Ray 11, No. 24 Tombstone 7
Second-round results
No. 4 Bisbee 12, No. 20 Winterhaven (California) San Pasqual 5
No. 7 Superior 12, No. 10 Elfrida Valley Union 8
No. 6 Miami 11, No. 11 St. Augustine Catholic 1 (5 innings)
Fridayβs quarterfinal results
No. 4 Bisbee 10, No. 5 Eloy Santa Cruz 2
Saturday semifinal results
No. 1 Bagdad 7, No. 4 Bisbee 5
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