Baseball: Valley Vista, Gilbert pull off D-1 surprises
May 3, 2014 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365
It wouldn't be the first round without some upsets. There were at least four in Division I on Saturday based on a high-seed beating a low-seed.
No. 23 seed Valley Vista tallied seven times in the first inning Saturday and went on to defeat host and No. 10 Desert Vista, 12-7, in the first round of the Division I state baseball tournament.
Cody Viena delivered a two-run double to highlight the seven-run outburst for Valley Vista (24-10). Terrance Robertson added three hits, including a two-run homer and Joe Velarde also homered for the Monsoon. Desert Vista starter Isiah Deutsch allowed six hits in opening inning and exited after 2/3 of inning of work. Valley Vista visits #7 Pinnacle in the second round on Tuesday (May 6).
GILBERT 9, BROPHY 8 (8 innings): Zack McElyea whacked a three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning as the No. 22 Tigers held off the No. 11 Broncos in the bottom of the inning for the win. Kohl Sanchez added three hits and two RBI for Gilbert. Gilbert advances to the next round to face No. 6 Mountain Pointe. Ryan Castellani and Nolan Weinstein combined for four hits and five RBI for Brophy.
MESA MOUNTAIN VIEW 6, MILLENNIUM 1: Nolan Ross pitched five strong innings and every Mountain View starter had at least one hit as the No. 9 Toros topped the No. 24 Tigers at Mountain View. Ross allowed three hits, one walk and fanned five. Ross had to work around four errors (one he made) and the Toros made five for the day. Five Mountain View players collected one RBI -- Chase Rich, Brent Bailey, Kyler Kocher, Alex Traylor and Canon Anderson. Mountain View visits No. 8 Mesquite in the next round.
CHANDLER 10, HIGHLAND 1: Wyatt Wilson hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run, fourth inning that pace the No. 17 Wolves past the No. 16 Hawks at Highland. Gavin Reichmuth added three RBI. Kurtis Knoche tossed a complete game, five hitter. Chandler faces No. 1 Hamilton in the second round.
SUNNYSLOPE 10, PERRY 4: Ryan Saltonstall singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth and added a two-run single in a five-run, sixth as the No. 14 Vikings rallied past the No. 19 Pumas at Sunnyslope. Saltonstall was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and teammates Mitchell Shultz and Noah Gotsis added two RBI apiece. Calvin LeBrun went the distance for Sunnyslope scattering seven hits and fanning eight. Sunnyslope visits No. 3 Horizon on Tuesday. Austin Bull had two hits and an RBI for Perry.
CENTENNIAL 5, BOULDER CREEK 4 (8 innings): Mark Lange's run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth completed a late rally that gave the No. 12 Coyotes a win over the No. 21 Jaguars at Centennial. JT Stanley's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh tied the game at 4. Marco Vasquez ripped a three-run double earlier in the game for Centennial. Bryce Johnson tossed three innings of one-run relief of starter Chaz Montoya for Centennial. The run was unearned. Centennial visits No. 4 Sandra Day O'Connor on Tuesday.
In other D-I first-round games -- No. 20 Liberty nipped No. 13 Mountain Ridge, 4-3 and No. 15 Corona del Sol edged No. 18 Tolleson, 5-4.