By Michael Militello

Despite falling behind seven runs in the first two innings, the Verrado Vipers baseball team defeated the Saguaro Sabercats 9-7 Monday.

The biggest play of the game took place in the fifth inning when Verrado designated hitter Elijah Celaya hit an inside the park home run, scoring three runs in the process.

“I knew it was going to be an automatic triple,” Celaya said. “I kept my eyes on the third baseman and then the ball went past him, and they didn’t have anyone backing him up. So I just took it.”

Celaya’s play brought the Vipers within one run of tying Saguaro and completely changed the momentum of the game, allowing Verrado to play aggressively.

In the following inning Vipers’ coach Mark Flatten signaled for an unexpected bunt and followed that up with a double steal just two batters later. Both runners would eventually score, giving Verrado the lead.

“We like to play aggressive,” Flatten said. “It’s just hard when you go down 7-0. When we made it close we went back to how we play.”

Verrado got on base early but had trouble scoring runs.

“It’s not like we were hitting the ball poorly,” Flatten said. “We just needed to capitalize on getting on base.”

The Sabercats jumped out to an early four run lead in the first inning thanks to a pair of two-run home runs from Nick Grossman and Matt Noriega. Saguaro added three more runs in the following inning.

After its initial burst, Saguaro cooled off in the following innings, only recording three more hits in the remainder of the game.

Coach Joe Muecke was upset that his seniors had to lose their last home game in that fashion.

“It was a lack of focus,” Muecke said. “Plain and simple.”

Michael Militello is a sports journalism student at Arizona State.