The Tucson Saguaros, despite effective pitching performances by Tucsonans Jaymon Cervantes and Travis Cole, lost at the San Rafael Pacifics 2-0 on Saturday in the final game of the best-of-three Pecos League championship series.
Cervantes, a right-handed Empire graduate who is an assistant coach at Sahuaro, allowed only five hits in seven innings while striking out seven and walking three. He pitched collegiately at Minot (N.D.) State until 2019. He was out of baseball until this spring when he decided to attend Pecos League tryouts at Scottsdale.
Cole, a Sahuaro alum who is a right-hander who starred at Christian Brothers University in Memphis until this spring, pitched in the eighth inning and did not allow a hit while recording a strikeout.
Tucson was attempting to win its third Pecos League championship since 2020. The Saguaros won the title in 2020 and 2021 and also came up short last year, losing to the Roswell (N.M.) Invaders in the championship series.
San Rafael left-hander Eric Parnow, formerly of Oregon State, pitched a three-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and five walks.
The Saguaros stranded seven runners on base.
San Rafael took a 1-0 lead in the first on Beau Dorman’s RBI single, which plated Kyle Guerra (doubled to lead off the inning).
In the fourth inning, San Rafael scored its second run after Nick Smith doubled and went home following a single by John Bicos.
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