Canyon del Oro and Sunnyside recorded a combined 24 runs Thursday with the Dorados coming out on top 16-8 in a game that had fireworks early after Sunnyside senior standout Orlando Cobarrubias took the first pitch he saw in the top of the first to deep center, fueling a 3-0 start that did not last.

Orlando Cobarrubias went deep early for Sunnyside. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

The Dorados responded with seven runs in the bottom half of the inning, with Michael Jones going deep, to take a 7-3 lead with the game barely underway. Canyon del Oro went on to build a lead 11-6 after three but the Blue Devils cut the lead down to 11-8 heading to the bottom of the sixth only to have Ernie Alvarez pace the Dorados to five more runs on a 3-run homer to give us the 16-8 final.

Alvarez finished 2-2 at the plate with four RBIs and Jones went 2-3 with four more RBIs for the Dorados. Regen Mazura added two RBIs. Mazura got the start, David Adams took the mound in the second inning and Michael Chop saw action in the sixth. The trio finished with nine strikeouts but they also gave up five earned runs.

Mikey Muniz went 3-4 for Sunnyside with a double and two RBIs, Jose Grijalva added two RBIs and Jorge Ruiz went 3-4 with two RBIs. Cobarrubias had his home run and he got the start for the Blue Devils and Alfredo Encinas threw the last four innings.

Sunnyside is now 6-4 in ranking games and the Blue Devils are No. 18 in the 6A Conference and the team will host No. 40 Rincon/University (0-9) on Tuesday, April 2 to open up 6A South Region play for both teams. Canyon del Oro (7-1) is ranked No. 3 in the 4A Conference and the Dorados will host top-ranked 5A power Catalina Foothills (4-1) on Wednesday.

Canyon del Oro won back-to-back 4A state championships in 2021 and 2022 to bring the program to ten overall. The Dorados are set to move to the 5A Conference next year based on enrollment.

Ernie Alvarez. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)