San Xavier, a team with nearly every player returning from last year’s Arizona Senior League championship team, played to form in Thursday’s 13-0 win in five innings over Los Niños in the District 12 championship game at Manzanita Park.
San Xavier advances to the state tournament at Nogales starting July 5.
Last season, San Xavier won the state title and advanced to the West Region Tournament at Oakland, where it went 2-2 and advanced to the elimination bracket semifinals. All but two of San Xavier’s players return from that team.
San Xavier won the first game of the best-of-three District 12 championship series by a score of 23-7 against Los Niños on Tuesday and established control of Thursday’s game early with three runs in bottom of the first inning.
That was all the run support needed for right-handed starter Jordan Lesley, a junior at Tucson High.
San Xavier RHP Jordan Lesley did not allow a hit in 4 2/3 innings of work. He struck out five and walked two. Because Lesley reached a pitching count, Ricardo Molina entered in relief for the last out. Lesley, a junior at Tucson High, also went 2 for 4 with two hits, two RBIs and… pic.twitter.com/MjWY8EONmC
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 28, 2024
Lesley did not allow a hit in 4 2/3 innings before he reached a pitch-count of 71. He was relieved with two outs in the fifth inning and Ricardo Molina got the last batter to ground out.
Lesley, returning recently from an arm injury that sidelined him for five weeks, struck out five and walked two.
He also went 2 for 4 with two runs, two RBIs and two stolen bases.
San Xavier 3B Junior Martinez, a Class of 2026 standout at Cholla, had three RBIs and also had a big-league defensive play making a diving stop and throwing in time to get the runner out at first base I his team’s 13-0 win in five innings over Los Niños in the District 12 Senior… pic.twitter.com/Mh56sn1Ssy
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 28, 2024
Jesus Martinez, a junior at Cholla who had an RBI single in the first inning, went on to finish with three RBIs. He also showed a good glove at third base, diving to make a stop of a hard-hit ball in the fourth inning and throwing out the batter just in time.
San Xavier scored three more runs in the second inning before putting six more across in the third inning.
San Xavier leadoff batter Carlos Alvarez went 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI.
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