Little League: Arrowhead forces another game for Rincon
by Andy Morales on Jul. 28, 2012, under Sports
Grace Lyons set the tone for Arrowhead. Come early to get a good seat as an estimated 1,500-1,800 fans attended the game Friday night. Andy Morales Photos.
The Rincon All-Stars had won eight playoff games in a row (including their district tournament) and they looked like a team that was unstoppable until Arrowhead beat them 15-5 in the first championship game Friday night at the Field of Dreams Complex.
The loss sets up a final “if-game” between the two teams for the Arizona Little League championship on Saturday morning at 9 am. Rincon had sent Arrowhead to the elimination bracket last Wednesday by a score of 14-3 so the game will also settle the score between the two teams.
It looked like Rincon was going to runaway with a victory after lead-off batter Terrell Huggins blasted a homerun to start the game off. Izzy Carrillo followed with a line drive that looked like it would reach the left field gap but Arrowhead shot stop Grace Lyons dove to her right and snared the shot.
Lyons’ defensive play was only the first game-changing play by the standout player. She sparked an 8-run inning in the bottom of the third by beating out an infield hit and then singled in a run later in the inning. She also recorded a triple in the bottom of the 5th inning.
Arrowhead tied the game up 1-1 in the bottom of the first and then went up 2-1 after two. Devin Garrett doubled to start of the 3rd inning and then scored on two passed balls to tie the game up 2-2. Arrowhead went on to score eight runs in the third, with four of the runs being unearned.
Brendan James hit a 3-run homerun in the inning for Arrowhead.
Down 10-2, Josh Repavich hit a towering homerun to score himself and Elijah Hart to cut the score down to 10-4. Arrowhead responded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the 4th inning thanks in part to a 2-run shot by Nolan Ruff.
Carrillo hit a homerun in the top of the fifth to make it 13-5 but Josh Sandoval hit a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the inning to score himself and Lyons, who had just hit a triple.
An estimated 1.500 fans from the Vail area attended the game. The regionals will be held in San Bernardino.
Arizona Little League
July 18-25: Silverlake
Friday, July 26
Arrowhead 15, Rincon 5
Saturday, July 27
If-Game Championship
Rincon vs. Arrowhead, 9 am
Pingback: Little League: Arrowhead forces another game for Rincon - VarsityFeeds.com | VarsityFeeds.com