State baseball: Cozen connects for walk-off HR for state title
May 17, 2012 by MaxPreps, AZPreps365
The 2012 baseball season in Arizona has come to an end, but not before some drama played out during the last couple of weeks. Here is quick recap of the four state title games:
Division I
Chaparral (Scottsdale) 5, Brophy College Prep (Phoenix) 3
Photo by James ConradIt was a fitting end to the season as Player of the Year candidate Dylan Cozens smacked a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to clinch the Division I title Tuesday at Camelback Ranch Stadium. Cozen's home run was his 19th of the season and gave No. 2 Chaparral (28-7) its 10th state title.
"It's unreal," Chaparral coach Sam Messina said. "It's surreal. It hasn't sunk in."
Fourth-seeded Brophy (23-10) battled back from a 2-0 deficit when Nick Jewett and Ryan Castellani connected for solo home runs to tie the game through two-and-a-half innings. Both teams added runs to set the stage for Cozens.
"Crazy," Cozens said. "I couldn't ask for anything more."
Division II
Sunnyslope (Phoenix) 6, Liberty (Peoria) 5
Eighth-seeded Sunnyslope wasn't going to stop now.
Not after knocking off several top seeds, including No. 1 Sunrise Mountain, on the way to the state title game. So the 5-2 deficit against No. 5 Liberty proved to be the next hurdle Tuesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The Sunnyslope (28-4) offense did enough in the four-run third inning to get back into the game, and sophomore pitcher Calvin LeBrun came on in relief to quiet the Liberty (26-4) offense to improve to 11-0. He went 6 1/3 innings while allowing just six hits and one earned run.
"Calvin has every intangible you can think of, and great stuff, too,'' Sunnyslope coach Jeff Shillington said.
Division III
River Valley (Mohave Valley) 8, Estrella Foothills (Goodyear) 7
Top-seeded River Valley (28-3) scored six of its runs over the fifth and sixth innings to come back from a 7-2 deficit to win its first state title Saturday against No. 6 Estrella Foothills.
Jonny Gutierrez had the game-winning RBI and went 3-for-3 (two RBI total) after coming off the bench as an injury replacement for Tanner Maras.
Division IV
St. David, Yuma Catholic (Yuma) 4
This one was almost over before it really got going as No. 2 St. David had a seven-run first inning to take control on the way to the program's 17th state title and first since 2002 on Saturday.
Shane Bradford led the offensive barrage that ended the game after the sixth inning because of the mercy rule against No. 4 Yuma Catholic. He went 4-for-5 with a bases-loaded triple in the first inning and a bases-loaded single in the sixth inning.
Jason P. Skoda, a former Arizona Republic and current Ahwatukee Foothills News staff writer, is a 15-year sports writing veteran. Contact him at jskoda1024@aol.com or 480-272-2449.
Division I
Chaparral (Scottsdale) 5, Brophy College Prep (Phoenix) 3
Photo by James ConradDylan Cozens hit a walk-off home run to give Chaparral a 5-3 Division I state title victory against Brophy College Prep.
"It's unreal," Chaparral coach Sam Messina said. "It's surreal. It hasn't sunk in."
Fourth-seeded Brophy (23-10) battled back from a 2-0 deficit when Nick Jewett and Ryan Castellani connected for solo home runs to tie the game through two-and-a-half innings. Both teams added runs to set the stage for Cozens.
"Crazy," Cozens said. "I couldn't ask for anything more."
Division II
Sunnyslope (Phoenix) 6, Liberty (Peoria) 5
Eighth-seeded Sunnyslope wasn't going to stop now.
Not after knocking off several top seeds, including No. 1 Sunrise Mountain, on the way to the state title game. So the 5-2 deficit against No. 5 Liberty proved to be the next hurdle Tuesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The Sunnyslope (28-4) offense did enough in the four-run third inning to get back into the game, and sophomore pitcher Calvin LeBrun came on in relief to quiet the Liberty (26-4) offense to improve to 11-0. He went 6 1/3 innings while allowing just six hits and one earned run.
"Calvin has every intangible you can think of, and great stuff, too,'' Sunnyslope coach Jeff Shillington said.
Division III
River Valley (Mohave Valley) 8, Estrella Foothills (Goodyear) 7
Top-seeded River Valley (28-3) scored six of its runs over the fifth and sixth innings to come back from a 7-2 deficit to win its first state title Saturday against No. 6 Estrella Foothills.
Jonny Gutierrez had the game-winning RBI and went 3-for-3 (two RBI total) after coming off the bench as an injury replacement for Tanner Maras.
Division IV
St. David, Yuma Catholic (Yuma) 4
This one was almost over before it really got going as No. 2 St. David had a seven-run first inning to take control on the way to the program's 17th state title and first since 2002 on Saturday.
Shane Bradford led the offensive barrage that ended the game after the sixth inning because of the mercy rule against No. 4 Yuma Catholic. He went 4-for-5 with a bases-loaded triple in the first inning and a bases-loaded single in the sixth inning.
Jason P. Skoda, a former Arizona Republic and current Ahwatukee Foothills News staff writer, is a 15-year sports writing veteran. Contact him at jskoda1024@aol.com or 480-272-2449.
