Lute Chavez (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

GAME TOTAL: 123

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Rincon beat Sunnyside 16-3 Tuesday night in District 12 9-11 Baseball action to advance to the championship game set for Friday night at Purple Heart Park. Sunnyside will face Copper Hills Thursday night for a shot at the title game. The winner of that game will need to beat Rincon twice under the double-elimination format.

Rincon scored nine runs in the bottom of the first against Sunnyside and never looked back. Lute Chavez took the mound for Rincon and he erased seven of the eight batters he faced. Nano Lopez and Anthony Montez also saw pitching action for the team from the Vail area. Ethan Bustamante, Juan Abril and Antonio Ochoa took the mound for Sunnyside.

Michael Muniz hit a double for Sunnyside and Miguel Siqueiros hit a single. Chavez went 3-for-4 with a double to help lead Rincon, Ethan Hunt went 2-2 with a 3-RBI double, Elijah Higuera went 2-2 with 2 RBI, Montez had a 2-RBI double, Zak Vasquez had two doubles and 3 RBI, Halton Donnelly went 2-3 with a double and 2 RBI, Jake Riesgo had an RBI, Ivan Arenas had an RBI, James Linzmeyer had a pinch-hit RBI and Aiden Wach had a pinch-hit single.

In 8-10 Baseball action, Rincon beat Freedom 11-9 to advance to the championship game Thursday night at Anamax Park against Sunnyside. Rincon has to beat Sunnyside twice. Sunnyside beat Rincon 10-0 last Thursday to send Sunnyside to the elimination bracket.

The District 12 champion will advance to the 8-10 State Tournament scheduled to start July 12 at Freedom Park where they will join District 5 champion Oro Valley.

Ethan Bustamante (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

CHAMPION ROLL CALL
D-5 8-10 SOFTBALL: Thornydale
D-5 8-10 BASEBALL: Oro Valley
D-12 8-10 SOFTBALL: Copper Hills
D-5 9-11 BASEBALL: Canyon View
D-5 9-11 SOFTBALL: Marana
D-5 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL: Western
D-5 LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL: Tucson Mountain
D-12 LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL: Sam Xavier
D-12 JUNIOR BASEBALL: Sunnyside

TUESDAY, JULY 3

D-12 8-10 BASEBALL
Rincon 11, Freedom 9

D-12 9-11 BASEBALL
Rincon 16, Sunnyside 3
Copper Hills 16, Randolph 6

D-12 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
Rincon 9, American 2
Copper Hills 14, Palo Verde 1

THURSDAY, JULY 5

D-12 8-10 BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunnyside vs. Rincon, Anamax 7 p.m.

D-12 9-11 BASEBALL
Sunnyside vs. Copper Hills, Purple Heart 6:30 p.m.

D-12 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
Rincon vs. Copper Hills, Perry 6:30 p.m.
Santa Rita vs. Sunnyside, Perry 6:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 6

D-12 9-11 BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Rincon vs. TBD, Purple Heart 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 12

STATE 8-10 BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
Freedom Park

FRIDAY, JULY 13

WESTERN REGION JUNIOR SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Opening Ceremonies: Omni Tucson National

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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 is the Southern Arizona voting member of the Ed Doherty Award, recognizing the top football player in Arizona, and he was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Contact Andy Morales at AMoralesMyTucson@yahoo.com