(Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

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Amphitheater Panther Baseball Invitational

Feb. 28-Mar. 3: Amphitheater and Catalina

Catalina beat Cibola 11-4 Saturday night to capture the championship of the Amphitheater Panther Baseball Classic. The Trojans went 5-0 in the tournament hosted by Coaches for Charity.

Senior pitcher Alex Phillips earned MVP honors by collecting nine strikeouts in the win, combined with his 2-run double at the plate to erase a 2-0 deficit in the first inning.

The Raiders started out hot with Joaquin Martinez reaching on a single and Ricky Munoz following with an RBI triple. David Cuadros knocked in Munoz on a double and then Izaak Varela drew a walk to put two more on with no outs.

Phillips gathered himself and picked up back-to-back strikeouts and a ground ball to end the top half of the first. As mentioned before, Phillips helped himself out by driving in Aaron Folsom and Charles Stewart with a double in the bottom of the inning. Both runners were walked.

Jon Lerma had an RBI double in the second and Jonah Lauten and Folsom followed with RBIs to put Catalina up 5-2. Cibola added another run in the third and the sixth but the Trojans put the game away with five runs in the bottom of the third and another in the fifth.

Lauten went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI to lead Catalina (7-0) at the plate.

CIB: 2-0-1-0-0-1-0: 4-9-2
CAT: 2-3-5-0-1-0-x: 11-9-0

CIB: Martinez (2-4, RBI, R); Munoz (1-2, 3B, 2W, RBI, 2 SB, 2R); Cuadros (2-4, 2B, RBI); Varela (1-2, 2W); Franco (1-3, W); Hernandez (1-4, R); Gonzalez (1-4); Jimenez (0-3); Valenzuela (0-2, W). Cabrales (LP: 1 1/3 IP, K, 4ER); Tafoya (2 IP, 4K, 3ER); Jimenez (1 2/3 IP, 2K).
CAT: Lauten (3-3, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2W 2R); Folsom (1-2, RBI, 2W, 2R, HP); Stewart (0-3, 2W, 2R); Rifici (1-4, 2RBI); Phillips (1-3, 2B, 2RBI, W); MacDonald (0-3, W); Johnson (1-2, W, HP); Gonzalez (2R); Hernandez (0-2, R); Musser (1-2); Lerma (1-4, 2B, RBI, 2R). Phillips (WP: 4 2/3 IP, 9K, 3ER); Hernandez (2 1/3 IP, 2K, 1ER).

Alex Phillips (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

Wednesday, Feb. 28
Catalina 12, Desert View 1
Empire 7, Amphitheater 4

Thursday, Mar. 1
Catalina 5, El Dorado (TX) 1
Amphitheater 14, Desert View 4
El Dorado (TX) 11, Empire 1
Cibola 2, Douglas 1

Friday, Mar. 2
Cibola 7, El Dorado (TX) 5
Douglas 11, El Dorado (TX) 1
Cibola 10, Amphitheater 6
Catalina 9, Douglas 1
Empire 15, Desert View 5

Saturday, Mar 3
Empire 8, El Dorado (TX) 7
Amphitheater 14, Desert View 13
Cibola 4, Douglas 1
Catalina 17, Amphitheater 6
Cibola 8, Empire 1

CHAMPIONSHIP
Catalina 11, Cibola 4

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Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014 and he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017 and he has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. His own children have won multiple state high school championships and were named to all-state teams. Competing in hockey, basketball, baseball and track & field in high school, his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Contact Andy Morales at AMoralesMyTucson@yahoo.com