It's a different sport, but he still makes plays.

Malcolm Holland looped a single to right field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday afternoon to give Hamilton a 4-3 victory over Mesa Mountain View in a winners' bracket game of the 5A-I state tournament  at Camelback Ranch Stadium.

Holland, who made big plays all season in football on special teams and defense, got his lone hit of the day and only the fifth of the game. That hit blunted momentum Mountain View gained with a two-out game-tying hit in the top of the seventh."

"i knew that when our sophomore (Kyle Pechloff)  led off and got on base, something was going to go down," Holland said. "I got a curve ball, stayed back and flared it to right."

The fast-paced game (one hour, 45 minutes) was a fine pitcher's duel between Hamilton senior Derek Hill and Mountain View junior Willie Ethington. Mountain View outhit Hamiton, 8-5, and the pitching was certainly a draw. The decisive plays were on defense -- a couple Mountain View didn't make and one that Hamilton did.

Mountain View jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-run double by Hunter Bryce. The game stayed that way with Ethington pitching to the minimum the first three innings and retiring the first 10 batters he faced. That's when defensive lapses stung Mountain View.

With one out in the Hamilton fourth, Toros shortstop Sterling Smith bobbled a ground ball by Holland and couldn't get the throw to first in time for the first of two critical errors in the frame. Mitch Nay followed with Hamilton's first hit of the game --  a solid single to right. MountaIn View right fielder Colten Nielsen charged the ball, but it skipped through his legs and rolled to the fence. It allowed Holland to score and Nay to reach third. A ground ball to third baseman Nick Morales came next. Morales fielded it clean, but double pumped and threw home late trying to nail Nay. Hamiton tied the game 2-2 on just one hit.

Nay came back to haunt Mountain View in the sixth. After back-to-back singles by Zack Hyzdu and Ethington opened Bryce hit a sharp grounder down the line at third. Nay dove to glove it, got to his feet, stepped on third and fired to first for the double play. The Toros came away empty in the sixth.

"Both guys pitched their hearts out," Hamilton coach Mike Woods said. "Ethington is one of the best kept secrets as a pitcher and player. He's tough....

"Malcolm has done it all year for us. He gets big hit after big hit."

Hill scattered eight hits, walked two  and struck out 10. He fanned at least one in every inning. Ethington struck out just one and walked two, but  gave up just five hits, only a couple of which were hard hit."

Hamilton plays Brophy on Saturday at 7 p.m. in another winners' bracket game at Camelback Ranch. Brophy advanced to that game with a 5-3 win over Mesquite. Mountain View next plays Thursday at 4 p.m. at Cameback Ranch against North Canyon, a 12-3 winner on Tuesday over  Alhambra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"