Only 20 minutes into Wednesday’s Arizona State Juniors Baseball Tournament semifinal game against Western, Nogales already had seven runs on eight hits, all of them ripped to the outfield via the air — they were ropes.
That was Nogales’ dominance in a nutshell, not only in this game and this tournament at Curtis Park and Mehl Park, but overall for the border-town’s organization.
Nogales beats Western 15-0 to reach the championship round of the Arizona State Juniors Tournament. Run-ruled first three opponents in tourney, out scoring them 53-8. Western moves to elimination bracket final tomorrow at 6 p.m. pic.twitter.com/2zAKapC6rb
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 14, 2022
Nogales defeated Western 15-0 in four innings — its third straight run-rule win in the tournament — in the game at Curtis Park. The rout followed a 20-0 win in four innings over Mesa Westwood and 18-8 victory in five innings over Peoria Rio Vista. In the three games combined, Nogales outscored the opponents 53-8 in 13 innings.
“We’ve just been practicing every day and our hitting is on point,” Nogales second baseman Rodrigo Olivares, who had two of Nogales’ 10 hits and also recorded a stolen base. “We’ve been playing good defense. Our pitching is also very good.
“We’ve been playing together since we were 7, 8 years old on a travel team (Juniors is comprised of players 13 and 14), and ever since, we’ve been playing together so we pretty much know everybody on the team.”
Nogales Juniors All-Stars second baseman Rodrigo Olivares had two of his team’s 10 hits in a 15-0 win over Western in the Arizona State Juniors Tournament. Seven batters in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit. pic.twitter.com/dhvn2JiGUe
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 14, 2022
Nogales traditionally sends its teams of all divisions (8-10, Majors, Intermediate (50/70), Juniors and Seniors) to the state tournament from District 8 and many of them advance to regional tournaments.
The Nogales 50/70 team in 2014 is the last Southern Arizona team to win a world series.
Former Arizona pitcher German Fajardo was a pitcher on that team. The Nogales High School graduate transferred to Kansas State after last season, and he went 4-2 with two saves and a 3.91 ERA, struck out 64, walked 29 and opponents hit only .204 against him.
“It’s a baseball town. Kids grow up playing baseball,” Nogales Juniors manager Reynaldo Castro said of the baseball-rich talent at Nogales.
He has been affiliated with the Nogales Little League organization for the last 15 years.
“A lot of training — there’s a lot of good coaches back home,” Castro added. “A lot of good trainers. A lot of the kids play year-round. They play club ball; they play everywhere.
“I have kids who play for two or three different teams, so it’s nothing but baseball.”
The seven-run inning on eight hits in the bottom of the first against Western included leadoff batter Xaciel Garcia going to the plate twice and hitting a double and RBI single. Olivares, Ruben Celaya and Nico Bernal singled (Bernal’s hit forcing in a run) before J.P. Tapia cleared the bases with a double and Diego Gomez followed with a run-scoring double.
The first out was a sacrifice fly by Ivan Molina, the eighth batter in the lineup, and Aidan Vasquilbaso and Garcia followed with RBI singles.
The 7-0 lead was more than enough for starting pitcher EJ Mayer, who led Nogales to an Intermediate state championship last summer.
Nogales starter EJ Mayer allowed two hits in his team’s 15-0 win in four innings over Western in the Arizona State Juniors Tournament. He had four strikeouts and one walk. Nogales advances to Friday’s championship round. pic.twitter.com/ZfbNa5Owff
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 14, 2022
Mayer allowed only two hits in four innings with four strikeouts and one walk. Western did not have a baserunner advance beyond second base.
“We just have to stay confident, be humble, keep hitting, play good defense and just play baseball,” Mayer said about what’s needed to win the state championship Friday against Sunnyside or Western at 5 p.m. at Curtis Park.
Sunnyside and Western play in the elimination-bracket final Thursday at 6 p.m. at Curtis Park. Sunnyside has won elimination games the last two nights over West Flagstaff and Mohave Valley after losing 12-7 against Western on Monday.
Nogales needs only one win Friday to claim the championship and advance to the regional tournament at Bend, Ore., from Aug. 3-11. Sunnyside or Western must beat Nogales twice.
“We have to stay down to earth,” Castro said. “I told my guys this is a victory but we have to come back Friday and take it seriously. We know we can’t let up. We’ve got to keep that momentum going.
“I just told them to be ready to do it again. We can’t take an off day. These teams are pretty good. … We’ve got to keep the same type of intensity going.”
Nogales manager Reynaldo Castro’s team is 3-0 in the Arizona State Juniors Baseball Tournament winning all games by run-rule. They have outscored the three opponents by a combined 53-8. Nogales is in the championship round Friday at 5 p.m. at Curtis Park. pic.twitter.com/Fgz4Vux7dx
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 14, 2022
Nogales increased its lead to 10-0 against Western on three unearned runs in the second, taking advantage of two errors and a couple of walks.
The lead mounted to 15-0 in the bottom of the third behind run-scoring walks with the bases loaded by pinch-hitters Aidan Castro, Esteban Vasquez and Jerry Quiroga. Olivares singled to lead off that inning and later scored on an error. Aidan Castro came home on a wild pitch.
Preston Robbins and Christopher Gutierrez recorded the two hits (both singles) for Western.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13
STATE 8-10 BASEBALL: MESA (D-7)
Rincon 17, Canyon View 7 (4)
STATE 50/70 BASEBALL: NOGALES (D-8)
Sunnyside 8, Western 0
STATE JUNIORS BASEBALL: CURTIS/MEHL (D-5)
Nogales 15, Western 0 (4)
Sunnyside 11, Mohave 5 (Elimination)
STATE SENIORS BASEBALL: WINSLOW (D-1)
Nogales 9, Mesa 0 (Championship)
STATE JUNIORS SOFTBALL: AVONDALE (D-2)
Thornydale 18, Williams 8
Mesa 11, Sunnyside 7 (Elimination)
Nogales Senior League 9-0 over Mesa for the State Championship (Nogales National Video) https://t.co/Wt8hQoH1mv pic.twitter.com/WOoDXOIk0u
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) July 14, 2022
THURSDAY, JULY 14
STATE 8-10 BASEBALL: MESA (D-7)
Nogales vs. Mt. Graham, 8 p.m. (Elimination)
STATE 50/70 BASEBALL: NOGALES (D-8)
Western vs. Prescott, 6 p.m. (Elimination)
STATE JUNIORS BASEBALL: CURTIS (D-5)
Western vs. Sunnyside, 6 p.m. (Elimination)
FRIDAY, JULY 15
STATE 8-10 BASEBALL: MESA (D-7)
Canyon View vs. West Flagstaff, 8 p.m.
STATE 9-11 BASEBALL: PHOENIX (D-3)
Canyon View vs. Rincon, 5:15 p.m.
STATE 50/70 BASEBALL: NOGALES (D-8)
Sunnyside vs. TBD, 6 p.m. (Championship)
STATE JUNIORS BASEBALL: CURTIS (D-5)
Nogales vs. TBD, 5 :15 p.m.
STATE SOFTBALL 8-10: SIERRA VISTA (D-8)
Sunnyside vs. District 6, 5 p.m.
Thornydale vs. District 11, 7:30 p.m.
Willcox vs. District 2, 7:30 p.m.
STATE JUNIORS SOFTBALL: AVONDALE (D-2)
Thornydale vs. TBD, 5:30 p.m. (Championship)
SATURDAY, JULY 16
STATE 8-10 BASEBALL: MESA (D-7)
Rincon vs. TBD, 8 p.m.
STATE 9-11 BASEBALL: PHOENIX (D-3)
Nogales vs. TBD, 7:45 p.m.
STATE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL: LITCHFIELD (D-2)
Marana vs. Mesa, 8 a.m.
Douglas vs. West Flagstaff, 5:30 p.m.
Sunnyside vs. Mt. Graham, 5:30 p.m.
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