No. 3 Sahuarita improved to 3-0 in the 4A state playoffs with a dominating 11-1 victory in six innings over No. 2 Scottsdale Saguaro in a quarterfinal game at Diablo Stadium at Tempe on Wednesday.
The Mustangs (24-5) earned the mercy-rule victory behind the pitching of Misael Valenzuela and the lineup that produced 12 hits, most notably a two-run triple by first baseman Nathan Huie and two-run home run by Dante Johnson in a six-run fourth inning.
Valenzuela, Huie and Johnson are juniors, which means coach Sam Gelardi, in his 16th year as head coach of the Mustangs, will have another contender next season.
Sahuarita has advanced to next Wednesday’s semifinals at Diablo Stadium against an opponent to be determined.
The winner of the elimination-bracket game between Saguaro and No. 7 Flagstaff on Saturday at Saguaro at 4 p.m. will face the Mustangs next Wednesday (time yet to be announced). Saguaro and Flagstaff are each 22-8.
No. 1 Salpointe and No. 5 Canyon del Oro are in the opposite bracket from Sahuarita. The Lancers and Dorados started playing each other at Diablo Stadium Wednesday night after the Mustangs beat Saguaro.
Sahuarita, which defeated Douglas and AZ College Prep at home earlier in the playoffs, scored enough runs to beat Saguaro in the second inning when the Mustangs plated two runs.
Robert Sanchez’s RBI single with one out scored Vince Garcia (who led off the inning with a single) for the first run of the game.
Nathan Huie (@nhuie935) drives one the other way for a 2-run triple. #FiveToolSpeed @SahuaritaB (AZ) 2024 · @RazorbackBSB commit
Profile: https://t.co/PFxerDHEmE pic.twitter.com/TKXTHE0sAW
— Five Tool Arizona (@FiveToolAZ) May 4, 2023
Terrence Hicks, who earlier walked and moved to third on Sanchez’s single, scored the second run on Ezra Vidal’s sacrifice fly to center field.
Sahuarita took control of the game after two outs were recorded in the fourth inning by scoring six runs to take an 8-0 lead.
Dante Johnson (@DanteJohnson42) puts a good swing on the pitch and mashes a 2-run home run over the wall in left. #FiveToolPower @SahuaritaB (AZ) 2024 #uncommitted
Profile: https://t.co/uPsN0SkCtw pic.twitter.com/jwxkpB86J3
— Five Tool Arizona (@FiveToolAZ) May 4, 2023
Consecutive singles by Colton Johnson and Brian Brimmer got the rally started. Huie, an Arkansas commit, followed with his two-run triple.
Hector Hernandez then hit a double that scored Huie.
Garcia’s single plated Hernandez and Johnson followed with his two-run home run to left field — his second home run of the postseason — to increase the lead to 8-0.
Sahuarita added three insurance runs in the top of the sixth to make the score 11-1, reaching the 10-run mercy-rule limit.
Ballgame!
Misael Valenzuela with a great performance on the mound. The RHP recorded 6K and only allowed one ER as Sahuarita beats Saguaro 11-1. @SahuaritaB (AZ) 2024 #uncommitted
Profile: https://t.co/AR4h4LVMcQ pic.twitter.com/qDilDmiacY
— Five Tool Arizona (@FiveToolAZ) May 4, 2023
Valenzuela worked the through the bottom of the sixth to end the game.
He scattered seven hits in his six innings of work, allowing one earned run with six strikeouts and four walks.
Huie finished 2 for 4 with a run and two RBIs, Garcia was 2 for 2 with two walks, three runs and an RBI, Sanchez went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Johnson was 1 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs.
Recommended for you
