It took 3 hours and 40 minutes for Flowing Wells to hold off Thornydale 17-14 in a District 5 Little League All-Star game held Monday night at Ora Mae Harn District Park in Marana. The game took eight innings so the “International Rule” came into play, which means a runner was placed at second base to start the inning for both teams.
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With the game tied 13-13, Flowing Wells placed Jake Hubbard at second base and he advanced to third after Alex Valenzuela reached on an error. Valenzuela stole second base and then Hubbard scored on a throwing error to make it 14-13. Basilio Molina knocked in Valenzuela one out later to make it 15-13 and then Cruz Marcial singled to make it 16-13 and he would score later in the inning on another throwing error to put Flowing Wells up 17-13.
Thornydale came close to winning the game in the bottom of the sixth inning on a bases-loaded situation with one out. Molina induced a ground ball to get the winning run out at home and then an infield pop fly ended the threat. Flowing Wells scored in the seventh to make it 13-12 but Thornydale had another opportunity to end the game after scoring a run to tie the game up on an outfield error that placed the winning run at third base with no outs.
Jayden Rodriguez was on the mound after relieving Molina and he was able to collect a strike out but Francisco Maldonado was still standing at third base with only one out for Thornydale. Rylan Youngquist reached on an infield single to put two on but a line drive was caught at short and then a throw to first ended that threat thanks to the clutch double play.
Now, down 17-13, Thornydale placed Christian Yepiz at second in the bottom of the eighth and he scored on a triple from Marcus Sandoval to make it 17-14. Rodriguez picked up three strike outs to end the game.
Flowing Wells advances to the next round where the team will face Canyon View Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. at Ora Mae while Thornydale fell down to the Elimination Bracket and the team will face Oro Valley at 5 p.m. Tuesday night. Oro Valley lost to CDO 6-2 Monday night. CDO will face the winner of Flowing Wells and Canyon View Thursday night.
Flowing Wells jumped out to a 5-0 lead to start the game but Thornydale responded with four runs to make it 5-4 after one and then Thornydale took a 6-5 lead heading to the third inning. Flowing Wells scored five more in the third and a run in the fourth and fifth innings made it 12-6. Thornydale batted around the order in the bottom of the fifth to make it 12-12.
In order, Molina went 3 for 5 with a triple and two RBI; Marcial went 5 for 5 with a double and 2 RBI; Seth McGinnis went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI; Adrian Tuccio had a double; Jayden Rodriguez had a single and Hubbard had two singles and an RBI. McGinnis got the start for Flowing Wells and he threw 4 2/3 innings with 5 strike outs; Molina threw 1 1/3 innings and Rodriguez threw the last two innings for the win with four strike outs.
For Thornydale, Carter Alstrom had an RBI double; Elias Ruiz went 2 for 2 with an RBI triple and a double; Ayden Stott went 4 for 4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI; Maldonado had a single; Bryson Bendigo had an RBI single; Youngquist had 2 singles and an RBI; Yepiz had 2 hits; Sandoval had an RBI triple and a double; Nikolas van der Werf had 2 singles and Benjamin Wiggins had an RBI single.
Maldonado, van der Werf, Ruiz (3 Ks), Steven Torain (2 Ks), Stott (4 Ks) and Alstrom (2 Ks) all saw action on the mound for Thornydale.
The State Tournament starts on July 16 in Litchfield Park.
MONDAY, JUNE 20
D-5 BASEBALL 8-10: MEHL 2
Oro Valley 18, Western 8
Canyon View 18, Continental Ranch 3
D-5 BASEBALL 9-11: CURTIS 2
Thornydale 14, Oro Valley 2
Western 16, Tucson Mountain 3
D-5 BASEBALL 10-12: ORA MAE
Flowing Wells 17, Thornydale 14 (8)
Marana 10, Tucson Mountain 0
CDO 6, Oro Valley 2
Continental Ranch 12, Western 11
D-5 SOFTBALL 8-10: ARTHUR PACK 2
Thornydale 17, Tucson Mountain 2
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
Oro Valley vs. Tucson Mountain, 5 p.m. (Elimination)
Canyon View vs. Marana, 7:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 10-12: ORA MAE 2
Thornydale vs. Oro Valley, 5 p.m. (Elimination)
Canyon View vs. Flowing Wells, 7:30 p.m.
D-5 SOFTBALL 8-10: ARTHUR PACK 2
Continental Ranch vs. Thornydale, 6:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22
D-5 BASEBALL 8-10: MEHL 2
Western vs. Continental Ranch, 5 p.m. (Elimination)
D-5 BASEBALL 9-11: CURTIS 2
Canyon del Oro vs. TBD, 5 p.m.
Thornydale vs. Western, 7:30 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 10-12: ORA MAE 2
Tucson Mountain vs. TBD, 5 p.m. (Elimination)
Western vs. TBD, 7 p.m. (Elimination)
D-5 SOFTBALL 8-10: ARTHUR PACK 2
Tucson Mountain vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m. (Elimination)
D-12 SOFTBALL JUNIORS: FILED OF DREAMS 3
Southwestern vs. Sunnyside, 6:30 p.m.
THURSDAY, JUNE 23
D-5 BASEBALL 8-10: MEHL 2
Oro Valley vs. Canyon View, 5 p.m.
D-5 BASEBALL 10-12: ORA MAE 2
Marana vs. Continental Ranch, 7:30 p.m.
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.
DISTRICT CHAMPIONS
D-12 BASEBALL 50/70: SUNNYSIDE
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Named one of “Arizona’s Heart & Sol” by KOLD and Casino del Sol, Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014, he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017 and a 2019 AZ Education News recognition. He was a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. He was the first in Arizona to write about high school beach volleyball and high school girls wrestling and his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy is a 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. Andy was named an Honorary Flowing Wells Caballero in 2019, became a member of the Sunnyside Los Mezquites Cross Country Hall of Fame in 2021 and he was a member of the Amphi COVID-19 Blue Ribbon Committee. He earned a Distinguished Service Award from Amphitheater and he was recognized by City Councilman Richard Fimbres. Contact Andy Morales at amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com
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