Lucas Polec had two hits including a double, Anthony Diaz produced two RBIs and Nate Shoemaker belted a two-run home run to lead No. 1 Catalina Foothills to a 9-5 survival win over No. 4 Scottsdale Horizon in the 5A semifinals Wednesday night at Mesa’s HoHoKam Park.
The Falcons (26-2-1) came out of the elimination bracket and needed a win to force a rematch with the Huskies (25-5) to advance to the championship game Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Tempe’s Diablo Stadium against No. 2 Queen Creek Casteel (26-6).
A rematch between Catalina Foothills and Horizon will occur Thursday at 6 p.m. at HoHoKam Park.
Casteel defeated No. 3 Nogales 5-0 on Wednesday behind a no-hitter pitched by Arizona Class of 2024 commit Mason Russell, a left-hander who struck out six and walked one.
Nogales finished its season 25-8.
Catalina Foothills rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 4-2 to defeat Horizon.
Shoemaker’s home run, which followed a double by Ganon Dwyer, with two outs in the second inning, tied the game at 2.
The Falcons rallied for three runs in the top of the fifth that was also generated with two outs.
A walk by Matt Adams, a double by Polec and Troy Sanders getting hit by a pitch loaded the bases.
Diaz followed with a two-run single and Sanders scored on an error on the play.
Diaz and Jake Gee later scored on wild pitches to give Catalina Foothills a 7-4 lead.
Polec’s RBI single in the sixth and Adams’ run-scoring single in the seventh capped the scoring for the Falcons.
Jaden Keenan pitched the last three innings to earn the victory. He allowed three hits, one run, two walks and three strikeouts.
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