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Western Juniors All-Stars reliever Luis Camacho achieved a feat Thursday night rarely, if ever, accomplished by a pitcher in the late innings of a game of high intensity with the season on the line.
Western won the classic 3-hour and 40-minute, 10-inning elimination-bracket final against Sunnyside 16-11 at Mehl Park to earn a spot in the championship round of the Arizona State Juniors Baseball Tournament on Friday at 5 p.m. against Nogales.
Western must beat Nogales twice Friday to win the championship. Nogales, 3-0 in the tournament with all wins by run-rule, needs only one victory.
“For me, it shows character because there were times we could have got down on ourselves,” Western manager Hector Carpio said of how Camacho and his teammates weathered Sunnyside’s seven-run seventh inning that sent the game into extra innings.
“We made mistakes throughout the whole game, and at any point, we could’ve got down on ourselves. The kids competed and battled back.”
Camacho is a prime example of that for Western, which is 3-1 in the tournament with the loss a 15-0 setback in four innings against Nogales on Wednesday.
Western reliever Luis Camacho didn’t allow Sunnyside’s seven-run seventh to tie the game at 11 with him on the mound affect him. He didn’t allow a hit in the 8th, 9th and 10th and his two-run double was part his team’s winning five-run rally in the 10th in the 16-11 win. pic.twitter.com/9HrZlqaI2a
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 15, 2022
Camacho was inserted in the seventh inning against Sunnyside in place of starter Yandel Rios-Arvayo, who threw an effective six innings as his team built an 11-4 lead.
Sunnyside, which overcame an 11-run deficit to beat Mohave Valley earlier in the tournament, rallied for seven runs off Camacho in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 11 and send the game to extra innings. Sunnyside took advantage of five hits, two errors and a hit-by-pitch in the rally.
It could have been worse in that dreaded seventh inning for Camacho and Western: Sunnyside sent a runner around third base to home on Carlos Urias’ single to left field but the runner was thrown out at the plate to end the rally, which included Sunnyside batting through the lineup and sending 11 batters to the plate.
As Camacho headed to the dugout after the throw by left fielder Dane Johnson nabbed the baserunner at home, “I was thinking ahead to the next inning, that I’m just going to go out there and pitch,” he said.
Never a doubt — at least he did not show it.
Sunnyside did not record a hit in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings off him.
You heard the ump:
Western advances to the championship round of the Arizona State Juniors Baseball Tournament with a 16-11 win in 10 innings over Sunnyside. Western plays Nogales at 5 pm Friday. Must win twice to capture title. Nogales only needs one win. pic.twitter.com/0rvBrm2fgT— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 15, 2022
Camacho helped his cause at the plate as well, belting a two-run double as part of Western’s five-run rally in the top of the 10th that gave it the 16-11 lead.
“Under pressure — I felt like I was under too much pressure — but I think I did better than not under pressure,” Camacho said.
From allowing seven runs on five hits in the seventh inning to a perfect last three innings, not giving up a hit or walk while striking out three — that is a very rare accomplishment by a reliever.
Generally, a pitcher is relieved in a similar scenario of Sunnyside’s prolonged rally in the seventh, but Carpio had to be mindful of pitch counts and saving his pitchers for potentially two games against Nogales on Friday.
“The X-factor was Luis,” Carpio said. “He’s got a lot of talent and potential. … I just think he needs to warm up more in the bullpen. That’s something he’s going to learn as he gets older.”
Carpio was forced to replace Rios-Arvayo after six innings because the right-hander reached 94 pitches, one less than the maximum allowed by Little League in a game for the Juniors division (13 and 14 years old).
Rios-Arvayo, the ace of the team, allowed one earned run, scattered six hits and recorded seven strikeouts with only one walk.
He also had an RBI single in the third inning along with Chris Gutierrez and Santiago Mendivil when Western took a 3-1 lead.
Western starting pitcher Yandel Rios-Arvayo kept Sunnyside in check in his six innings allowing only one earned run, scattering six hits, striking out seven and walking one in his team’s 16-11 win in 10 innings in the elimination-bracket final of the Juniors state tournament. pic.twitter.com/xsjS1H8hW3
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 15, 2022
“I kept the mindset of if they get a hit, I have to work harder, and the next one is not going to be that easy again,” said Rios-Arvayo, who rebounded from three unearned runs scored off him in the fifth to retiring five of the last six batters he faced.
Western took advantage of two errors and Marcelo Carpio’s RBI single in the fourth to score three runs and increase the lead to 6-1.
Sunnyside cut the lead to 6-4 in the fifth on the three unearned runs. Omar Flores delivered a two-run single in the inning that was followed by Rios-Arvayo retiring the last two batters (including a strikeout to close the inning).
Western scored three unearned runs off four Sunnyside errors in the sixth and two more runs in the seventh as a result of four walks and three wild pitches to build the 11-4 lead.
Sunnyside’s seven-run rally in the seventh was aided by two errors, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, Angel Rodriguez and Gael Martinez each came through with RBI singles. Urias came up twice in the inning and recorded two base hits.
Urias’ second hit drove in the tying run but the inning ending on the baserunner thrown out at the plate after he was sent home.
After each team failed to score in the eighth inning, an automatic runner was placed at second base starting in the ninth inning, per international Little League rules.
Western’s 10th inning began with Mendivil at second base. After a strikeout, Johnson singled, advancing Mendivil to third. A wild pitch allowed Mendivil to score to give Western a 12-11 lead.
Maximiliano Lopez walked before Camacho belted his two-run double. Diego Mesa then walked. Camacho and Mesa eventually scored due to a wild pitch and a couple of Sunnyside errors.
Camacho closed the door in the bottom of the 10th with a strikeout and two pop-up outs.
Western Juniors manager Hector Carpio’s team allowed a seven-run lead in the seventh disappear against Sunnyside but showed some mettle by ending any threat right there. Western won 16-11 behind 5 runs in the 10th. Faces Nogales in state tourney championship round Friday at 5 pm. pic.twitter.com/hwTFfutkTh
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 15, 2022
“It’s a learning experience,” Hector Carpio said. “I told them, ‘Any time you play high-level games, it’s a process to learn to win these games. It just doesn’t happen overnight. … Regardless of what happens (against Nogales Friday), the experience they got is going to carry them on for the rest of their baseball career.”
Rodriguez, Urias and Martinez each went 3 for 5 to lead Sunnyside. Rodriguez had two runs and two RBIs, Urias two runs, a double and an RBI and Martinez two runs and an RBI.
Gutierrez reached base five times with two singles and three walks and had a run and RBI for Western.
THURSDAY, JULY 14
STATE 8-10 BASEBALL: MESA (D-7)
Nogales defeated Mt. Graham (Elimination)
STATE JUNIORS BASEBALL: MEHL (D-5)
Western 16, Sunnyside 11 (10) (Elimination)
FRIDAY, JULY 15
STATE 8-10 BASEBALL: MESA (D-7)
Canyon View vs. West Flagstaff, 8 p.m.
Nogales vs. Casa Grande, 8 p.m. (Elimination)
STATE 9-11 BASEBALL: PHOENIX (D-3)
Canyon View vs. Rincon, 5:15 p.m.
STATE 50/70 BASEBALL: NOGALES (D-8)
Western vs. Prescott, 10 a.m. (Elimination)
Sunnyside vs. TBD, 4 p.m. (Championship)
STATE JUNIORS BASEBALL: CURTIS (D-5)
Nogales vs. Western, 5:15 p.m. (Championship)
Nogales vs. Western, 7:30 p.m. (If Game)
STATE SOFTBALL 8-10: SIERRA VISTA (D-8)
Sunnyside vs. Phoenix Arcadia, 5 p.m.
Thornydale vs. Pinal Mountain, 7:30 p.m.
Willcox vs. Goodyear, 7:30 p.m.
STATE JUNIORS SOFTBALL: AVONDALE (D-2)
Thornydale vs. Williams, 5:30 p.m. (Championship)
Thornydale vs. Williams, 7:30 p.m. (If Game)
SATURDAY, JULY 16
STATE 8-10 BASEBALL: MESA (D-7)
Rincon vs. Arcadia, 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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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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