Ironwood Ridge is safely tucked in the middle of the Division II baseball playoff race. Red Mountain is trying to hang on to a playoff berth near the cutoff of the Division I chase.

Ironwood Ridge tagged Red Mountain for four runs in the first and four more in the second on Saturday moring en route to a 9-3 triumph in a designated home game for Ironwood Ridge at Chase Field.

Ironwood Ridge lefty Josh Darang rebounded from a sluggish first inning to throw six strong innings and notch the victory. Darang gave up both runs in the first inning (unearned) via three walks and an infield error staking Red Mountain to a 2-0 lead. Darang did not allow a run the rest of the way and finished with seven strikeouts in six innings of work.

Ironwood Ridge gave its junior southpaw a comfort zone with which to work with eight runs in its first two at-bats. The Nighthawks took advantage of four walks and seven hits in the initial two frames. Nick Estrella, Michael Franzese and Andrew Brooks delivered RBI in the first inning and Jake Engel a two-run double in the second and Gavin Ortiz a sacrifice fly. Ironwood Ridge collected three sacriice flies and plated another run with a ground out showing the importance of putting the ball in play. Derek Daley, Jared McKemy, Estrella, Engel, and Franzese had two hits apiece and Engel and Franzese two RBI each. 

Ironwood Ridge (20-7 overall, 12-5 power-ranking games) is currently ranked No. 13 in the D-II power rankings with one game remaining Wednesday at Catalina Foothills. The Nighthawks are likely to open the D-II playoffs at home on Saturday May 2 in an elimination game. Red Mountain (11-17, 8-10 prg), plagued by pitching injuries, has one game left Tuesday April 28 at home vs. Camelback. The Mountain Lions are resting between the ever-fluid 18-26 spots in the D-I power-rankings (top 24 qualify). A victory in their finale added to their better-than-average strength of schedule would likely make for a nip-and-tuck stab at one of the final postseason berths. Competing for those final spots with Red Mountain are North Canyon, Basha, Pinnacle, Mtn. Pointe, Desert Ridge, Sunnyslope, Desert Mountain, Skyline and Sandra Day O'Connor.

The teams completed a busy week of competition playing three games each. Ironwood Ridge also finished a suspended-tie  game with Canyon del Oro. Ironwood Ridge finished 2-2 losing to Marana and in the completion of its game with CDO. The Nighthawks bounced back to beat Maricopa Friday and spent the night in the Valley to reduce the burden fof travel  to the Valley for such an early start. Red Mountain was 1-2 for the week, routing Dobson and bowing in blowouts to Brophy and Ironwood Ridge.

First baseman Casey Hershey reached base three times for Red Mountain (walk, single and hit by pitch) and added an RBI. Hershey also made a pair of over-the-shoulder catches on the dead run in foul territory that would have made :Paul Goldschmidt proud.