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Little League All-Stars: Nogales advances in Senior League Region action

By Andy Morales

Posted on July 21, 2022

STATE CHAMPIONS: WEST REGION ASSIGNMENTS

Sunnyside 50/70 Baseball: Nogales Host Team (Nogales: July 22-28)
Nogales Juniors Baseball (Bend, Oregon: Aug. 3-11)
Nogales Seniors Baseball (Oakland: July 20-27)
Thornydale Juniors Softball: Marana Host Team (Arthur Pack: July 22-28)

THURSDAY, JULY 21

STATE 8-10 BASEBALL: MESA (D-7)
Nogales 9, Mesa Four Peaks 8

Nogales answered Four Peaks’ four runs in the top of the sixth with four runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth to achieve the walk-off win on Juan Rojas’ suicide-squeeze bunt single to force a deciding final game for the state championship.

Nogales, which has won seven straight games facing elimination in this tournament, plays Four Peaks again on Friday at a time to be determined at Fiesta Sports Complex in Mesa.

Trailing 8-5 after Four Peaks scored four runs in the top of the sixth, Nogales was facing the possibility of a long ride home. But after the first batter struck out, Nogales’ Julian Lopez, Justin Celaya and Isaac Corella hit consecutive doubles — the hits by Celaya and Corella driving in runs — to cut the lead to 8-7.

Kal-el Ayala reached on a fielding error, moving Corella to third base. Corella then scored on a wild pitch that was Ball 4 for Jesus Echeverria, tying the game. Ayala moved to third on the play. Rojas followed with a bunt single toward the first baseman, scoring Ayala to give Nogales the win.

Top Nogales performers:

Corella, 3 for 4, 2 runs, RBI, double
Rojas, 1 for 4, 2 RBIs
Humberto Picos, 1 for 3, 2 RBIs

STATE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL: LITCHFIELD (D-2)
Sunnyside 8, High Desert 3 (Elimination)

Sunnyside has won nine straight times while facing elimination dating to its five-game run in the District 12 tournament. It will play Douglas in the elimination-bracket final on Friday at 7 p.m. at Litchfield Park. The winner of that game plays Peoria Sidewinder in the championship round Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Top Sunnyside performers:

P/CF Eli Urias, 2 for 4, 2 runs; 3 2/3 IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 5BBs, 9Ks
3B Christian Moran, 2 for 3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, double
SS Alex Ramirez, 3 for 3, run, 2 RBIs
P Jaylee Abraham, 2 1/3 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 3Ks

50/70 WEST REGION: NOGALES (D-8)
Sunnyside 5, N. California 3

Sunnyside opened the West Regional with a victory behind a two-run rally in the top of the seventh including an RBI single by Carlos Rodriguez after Oscar Quijada hit a leadoff triple. Rodriguez later scored on an error.

Sunnyside continues pool play against Washington on Friday at 8 p.m.

Top Sunnyside performers:

RF Santos Lopez, 1 for 3, 2 RBIs, double
CF Carlos Rodriguez, 1 for 1, run, RBI
P/LF Javen Guadarrama, 2 for 3, run; 5 IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 9Ks
3B/P Oscar Quijada, 1 for 3, run, triple; 2 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 5Ks

SENIOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: OAKLAND
Nogales 4, N. California 2

Nogales opened the West Regional with a victory behind the pitching of starter Denzel Montijo and relievers Rafa Echeverria and Jorge Amaya. They combined for nine strikeouts.

Nogales’ two runs in the sixth, giving it a 4-1 lead, was the difference. After Ralph Felix walked with one out, Carlos Peralta followed with a double, advancing Felix to third base.

Felix scored on a fielder’s-choice grounder, and with two outs, Ruben Cruz lined an RBI single to left field to increase the lead to 4-1.

Top Nogales performers: