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Sunnyside Intermediate (50/70) coach Gabe Salgado gave the ball to Joshua Valenzuela on Tuesday night with the blind faith the young right-hander could carry his team on the mound against Cactus after scheduled starter Jaden Guadarrama could not make the game in time after being involved in a minor automobile accident.
“Guadarrama got in a car accident on the way and we had been preparing him for the last two weeks to pitch the first game,” Salgado said. “Joshua, to tell you the truth, we hadn’t bullpenned him yet because we haven’t used him yet. We gambled with it. He’s an all-around player — catch, pitch, third, first, wherever you put him — he went in there and did the job. We were happy he took care of it.”
Valenzuela kept Cactus in check through most of his four innings of work in Sunnyside’s 18-3 win at Vista del Prado Park.
The teams will play again at Vista del Prado on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the best-of-three series in the District 12 playoffs. Sunnyside is a win away from advancing to the Intermediate (50/70) state tournament at Nogales that starts July 7.
Sunnyside 50/70 starter Joshua Valenzuela didn’t know he’d be pitching until he showed up at the park because slated starter Jaden Guadarrama was in a minor automobile accident going to the game. He picked up the win in the 18-3 outcome over Cactus in 4 innings. 7 K’s & 1 ER. pic.twitter.com/Zdzv8j2f4k
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 15, 2022
Many of the players on Sunnyside’s roster were part of the Majors team that went deep into the state tournament last summer at Tempe.
The Majors division is the age group that reaches Williamsport, Pa., for the Little League World Series. Due to COVID-19 restrictions a year ago, it was the only division that had a regional tournament and world series.
This year, all the divisions, including Intermediate (50/70), will resume having a full postseason. The Intermediate division includes players 11 to 13 that uses a 50-foot pitching distance and 70-foot base paths.
“We want to do it again and go farther,” Valenzuela said when asked about most of last year’s Majors team together again.
Valenzuela scattered five hits and allowed only one earned run while striking out seven batters and walking three against Cactus. He also had a two-run double with a run as part of Sunnyside’s 13-hit attack.
JJ Montenegro’s first postseason hit in his youth baseball career was a bases-clearing double as part of a 17-run inning for Sunnyside in an 18-3 win over Cactus. Normally a football player, he is trying baseball for the first time. pic.twitter.com/IcZ4QpAvO4
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 15, 2022
The difference was Sunnyside’s 17-run third inning that put it ahead 18-1. Sunnyside took advantage of four errors and tallied nine hits in the inning.
J.J. Montenegro, playing his first postseason all-star game of his career, hit a bases-clearing double as part of Sunnyside’s decisive third-inning rally. He wanted to try baseball this summer after primarily being a lineman with the Marana Broncos youth-football team.
“It was my first-ever double and my first hit in a postseason game,” said Montenegro, whose teammates chanted “JJ, JJ, JJ” while he was interviewed. “I was scared (the hit) was not going to split them (the left and center fielders) but it was a nice hit.”
The hit helped spur the rally after Sunnyside could muster four hits in the first two innings while pushing only one run across.
“It took them some time to open up,” Salgado said. “The first couple of innings they were nervous, which they shouldn’t be. They’ve been in this situation a bunch of times.
“But they’re kids and it still takes them a little time. After a couple of big hits, they warmed up to it and they were rallying. They really got into it.”
Sunnyside 50/70 coach Gabe Salgado has his team one win from reaching the state tournament following an 18-3 win over Cactus. Talks about starter Joshua Valenzuela coming up big after Jaden Guadarrama was scratched after being in a minor car accident. pic.twitter.com/5JPTFjljT3
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 15, 2022
Two of Sunnyside’s top players from its Majors team last year — catcher Ezequiel Lorta and third baseman Josue Espinoza — were effective.
Lorta, whose brother Damian was a standout freshman at Walden Grove this season, was 2 for 3 with a double, stolen base, two runs and two RBIs, and Espinoza finished 1 for 2 with two runs, a double, two stolen bases, two runs and an RBI.
Luis Zazueta, another top player from the Majors team last year, went 2 for 3 with three runs, a double and an RBI.
“You should hear them at practice; they feel like that’s something they didn’t complete,” Salgado said of being eliminated from the state tournament last year after reaching the semifinals. “They come with fire. I was surprised to see them nervous today because yesterday at practice they were fired up.
“Hopefully, they got the bugs out and they’re ready to go now.”
Cactus’ Buck Cook and Wyatt Blanco each produced RBIs and Gavin Hanson, Sergio Cordova and Gus Brungardt each scored.
TUESDAY, JUNE 14
D-12 BASEBALL 50/70: VISTA DEL PRADO
Sunnyside 18, Cactus 3 (4)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15
D-12 BASEBALL 50/70: VISTA DEL PRADO
Cactus vs. Sunnyside, 6:30 p.m.
MONDAY, JUNE 20
D-5 BASEBALL 8-10: MEHL 2
Western vs. Oro Valley, 5 p.m.
Continental Ranch vs. Canyon View, 7:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 9-11: CURTIS 2
Oro Valley vs. Thornydale, 5 p.m.
Tucson Mountain vs. Western, 7:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 10-12: ORA MAE
Flowing Wells vs. Thornydale, 5 p.m. 1
Marana vs. Tucson Mountain, 5 p.m. 2
Oro Valley vs. CDO, 7:30 p.m. 1
Continental Ranch vs. Western, 2
D-5 SOFTBALL 8-10: ARTHUR PACK 2
Tucson Mountain vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, JUNE 21
D-5 BASEBALL 8-10: MEHL 2
Flowing Wells vs. Tanque Verde, 5 p.m.
Tucson Mountain vs. Thornydale, 7:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 9-11: CURTIS 2
Canyon View vs. Marana, 7:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 10-12: ORA MAE 2
Canyon View vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m.
D-5 SOFTBALL 8-10: ARTHUR PACK 2
Continental Ranch vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22
D-5 BASEBALL 9-11: CURTIS 2
Canyon del Oro vs. TBD, 5 p.m.
D-12 SOFTBALL JUNIORS: FILED OF DREAMS 3
Southwestern vs. Sunnyside, 6:30 p.m.
THURSDAY, JUNE 23
D-12 SOFTBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS 3
Sunnyside vs. Randolph, 7:45 p.m.
FRIDAY, JUNE 24
D-5 SOFTBALL 10-12: ARTHUR PACK 2
Marana vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 50/70: ARTHUR PACK 5
Tanque Verde vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 9-11: FIELD OF DREAMS 1
Cactus vs. Copper Hills, 5:15 p.m.
Los Ninos vs. Sunnyside, 7:45 p.m.
D-12 JUNIOR BASEBALL: JESSE OWENS
Randolph vs. Empire, 5 p.m.
Sunnyside vs. Copper Hills, 7:45 p.m.
D-12 SOFTBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS 3
Copper Hills vs. TBD, 5:15 p.,.
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
D-5 SOFTBALL 10-12: ARTHUR PACK 2
Marana vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 50/70: ARTHUR PACK 5
Western vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 8-10: PURPLE HEART 4
Cactus vs. Copper Hills, 5:15 p.m.
Southwestern vs. Rincon, 7:45 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 9-11: FIELD OF DREAMS 1
Rincon vs. TBD, 5:15 p.m.
Randolph vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m.
D-12 JUNIOR BASEBALL: JESSE OWENS
Cactus vs. TBD, 5 p.m.
Southwestern vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m.
D-12 SOFTBALL 8-10: FIELD OF DREAMS 3
Southwestern vs. Sunnyside, 5:15 p.m.
MONDAY, JUNE 27
D-5 SOFTBALL JUNIORS: ARTHUR PACK 4
Marana vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS 1
Randolph vs. Copper Hills, 6:30 p.m.
D-12 SOFTBALL 8-10: FIELD OF DREAMS 3
Copper Hills vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m.
TUESDAY, JUNE 28
D-5 SOFTBALL JUNIORS: ARTHUR PACK 4
Marana vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 8-10: PURPLE HEART 4
Empire vs. TBD, 5:15 p.m.
Sunnyside vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m.
D-12 BASEBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS 1
Rincon vs. Sunnyside, 5:15 p.m.
Empire vs. Cactus, 7:45 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29
D-12 BASEBALL 10-12: FIELD OF DREAMS 1
Southwestern vs. TBD, 5:15 p.m.
D-12 SOFTBALL 9-11: DREAMS FIELDS 3
Randolph vs. Rincon, 5:15 p.m.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator five years ago and is presently a special education teacher at Gallego Fine Arts Intermediate in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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