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The San Rafael (Calif.) Pacifics, after a week-long layoff following their clinching win in the Pacific Division series, showed no rust Saturday night at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, ending the 18-game winning streak of Mountain Division champion Tucson Saguaros , 12-9, in the opening game of the 2025 Pecos League best-of-three championship series.
The Pacifics (35-16) were idle after eliminating Dublin (Calif.) on Aug. 1 while the Saguaros (47-10) needed to knock out both Pecos (Texas) and Garden City (Kan.) over the past week to reach the last series of the season.
San Rafael put Tucson in an early hole by scoring five runs in the top of the first inning, keyed by a two-run single by Chris Wright and Fred Buckson’s two-run double. The Saguaros came back in the bottom of the first with three runs, featuring RBI singles by Anthony Manisero and Brian Ledezma.
The two teams traded runs in the second frame before the Pacifics posted three more runs in the top of the third to increase their lead to 9-4. Wright stroked another two-run single in that rally.
Tucson kept fighting back but was unable to get closer than three runs the rest of the way.
Hal Perez came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth before grounding out to end the game..
Buckson led San Rafael with three hits and as many RBIs, Aki Buckson also had three hits and scored twice while Wright finished with two hits and four RBIs.
Manisero and Jacob Elizondo each collected three hits for Tucson while Ledezma and Marquise Wood both homered in a losing cause.
Game 2 of the series at Kino Stadium is Sunday at 7 p.m.
San Rafael seeks its second Pecos League pennant in three years, while Tucson is looking for a fourth flag, the last one coming in 2021.
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