Citizen Staff Writer

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

Tucson no longer has the Triple-A Sidewinders, but that hasn’t stopped the Tucson Toros from having a relationship with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Toros and Diamondbacks announced a two-game exhibition schedule Thursday. The Toros will compete against D’backs players who are in extended spring training.

The first game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday; the second will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Admission is free to both games.

The contests will be at Hi Corbett Field, 3400 E. Camino Campestre.

“This is definitely going to let me see what kind of talent we have and what kind of players because you’re playing in a competitive situation,” Toros manager Tim Johnson said.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ll be able to, and the coaches will be able to, see what we have. I think it’s great.

“I want to play as many of these games as I can.”

Ex-Toros manager Bob Didier (1987-89), who manages the D’backs’ extended spring training, was instrumental in getting the exhibition games scheduled.

“(Didier) has been a great baseball guy for a long time and his father, Mel Didier, is like a father to me,” Johnson said.

Didier sees advantages for both sides.

“We’re looking forward to the games because we’re playing older veterans,” Didier said. “It will be good experience for the guys.”

Tucson opens its independent Golden Baseball League schedule with a home game against the Chico (Calif.) Outlaws at 7 p.m. May 21.

Citizen Staff Writer
TC Varsity

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

Ryan Retz gets an A-plus recalling his history batting against Cienega pitcher Seth Mejias-Brean.

Retz singled to right field in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday night at Hi Corbett Field, driving home the winning run to lift Canyon del Oro to a 4-3 victory over Cienega in a Class 4A Division I quarterfinal game.

“I know Seth from history and he’s a fastball pitcher,” Retz said. “I have a lot of history with Seth. I’ve played with him and against him ever since my sophomore year.”

Retz connected on the second pitch from Mejias-Brean, who came in earlier in the inning to relieve Mario Sanchez, and lined the ball into right field to score Griffin Ronstadt from second base.

“I got a first-pitch fastball inside and the next pitch I was looking fastball away,” Retz said. “. . . I felt good with Griffin running. I knew he was going to score.”

The dramatic win was set up when Ronstadt reached base on a one-out infield hit. David Metz reached on a bunt single off Sanchez, bringing up Retz.

“The tougher the situation, the better (Retz) is,” CDO coach Len Anderson said.

The difference between winning and losing came down to one play for Cienega coach Todd Welch.

“Not making the play on Metz’s bunt was huge,” Welch said. “It allowed (Ronstadt) to get to second and in scoring position. That was the kicker.

“I went to Seth because I believed he would get the job done. I went with my best against their best and ended up on the short end of the stick.”

Cienega fought back from a 3-0 deficit with a run in the third and two in the fifth to tie the score 3-3. Michael Bregante accounted for two of the runs and Sanchez added an RBI.

CDO plays No. 10 Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor at 4 p.m. Friday at Tempe Diablo Stadium in the 4A-I semifinals.

Saturday’s 4A-I title game starts at 3 p.m. in Tempe Diablo Stadium and will be televised on Cox cable Channel 7.

No. 4 Scottsdale Chaparral 4, No. 5 Nogales 3: At Scottsdale, Nogales’ season came to an end at the hands of perennial power Chaparral.

The Apaches finish their season at 23-9-2.

No. 1 Glendale Cactus 6, No. 8 Catalina Foothills 3: At Glendale, Cactus senior right-hander James Fajardo was solid in picking up the win in the complete-game six-hitter.

The transfer from Phoenix Sunnyslope allowed six hits, struck out 12 and walked one.

Foothills had its chances, especially in the fourth inning when the first three hitters reached base, but the Falcons managed just one run off of Fajardo.

“I threw a lot of cutters, and my curveball wasn’t sharp (at the end of the season), but it was right on today,” Fajardo said. “I hadn’t thrown in a little over a week so I was fresh.”

Class 4A Division II

Sahuarita’s season ended at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Wednesday.

No. 6 Phoenix Greenway beat the No. 3 Mustangs 7-1 as Sahuarita finished the season with an 18-7 record.

Citizen Staff Writer

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

Alexa Cash wasn’t feeling well Tuesday. In fact, she hasn’t been 100 percent in her last three starts for Cienega.

Still, as she did in her 16-strikeout performance Saturday in a 10-0 win over Glendale Apollo, Cash didn’t allow her health to stop her from dominating.

Cash allowed three hits and struck out 15 Tuesday, leading No. 1 Cienega to a 5-0 win over No. 9 Scottsdale Saguaro in the Class 4A Division I quarterfinals.

“I haven’t been feeling too well,” Cash said. “I am not sure what it is, but I wanted to go today.”

Cienega coach Eric Tatham had backup pitcher Brittany Johnson ready to go in case Cash wasn’t able to go.

Her teammates made things easy on her in the fifth inning, scoring four runs. Three of those came from an inside-the-park home run by leadoff hitter Brittany Keiser.

“That’s what is great about Alexa,” Tatham said. “Once she gets staked to a lead, she’s cash money.”

Keiser was equally impressed.

“She was sick all day and having to throw that game was amazing,” Keiser said. “I don’t know of anybody that can do that.”

Cienega plays No. 12 Catalina Foothills in Thursday’s 6:30 p.m. semifinal at University of Arizona’s Hillenbrand Stadium.

Fowler throws 4th straight no-hitter

In the fourth inning Tuesday, Kenzie Fowler and Canyon del Oro were working on a fourth straight no-hitter and the all-world pitcher had struck out all 11 Glendale Cactus batters she had faced.

The hard windup and . . .

The ball went sailing vertically out of her hand, landing behind her.

It was a strange twist of imperfection for the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year, who didn’t allow a hit Tuesday in an 8-0 win over No. 7 Glendale Cactus in the 4A-I quarterfinals.

“I haven’t done that since I was 10,” Fowler said of the mishap.

The no-hitter for Fowler and No. 2 CDO extends to four her streak of no hitters, including two games in which she threw perfect games (no hits, no walks, no errors). Fowler struck out 16 hitters in her final game at CDO.

Adding to her domination, she was 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and stole a base. She walked two, giving extra notice that she is human, not bionic.

“She never surprises me,” said head coach and former CDO banner player Amy Swiderski. “She works as hard as any pitcher I’ve seen.”

Fowler said afterward she isn’t interested in keeping up the no-hit streak.

“We don’t know stats,” said Fowler. “The coaches take care of that.”

CDO’s Taylor Watkins doubled and tripled and scored twice for the Dorados, who play No. 3 Scottsdale Chaparral at Phoenix’s Rose Mofford Park in Thursday’s 4A-I semifinals.

No. 12 Catalina Foothills 11, No. 4 Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor 4: At Phoenix, Foothills pulled off its second road upset in the playoffs, setting up Thursday’s semifinal with Cienega.

No. 3 Scottsdale Chaparral 1, No. 6 Sahuaro 0: At Scottsdale, Sahuaro, last year’s 4A-I runner-up, finished the season with a 22-8 record.

Class 4A Division II

No. 12 Gilbert Perry upset No. 4 Douglas, 6-2, in the 4A-II quarterfinals in Douglas. The Bulldogs ended the season 29-4.

Junior pitcher Erika Tapia finished the season with a 25-2 record and 217 strikeouts.

Girls Tennis

The Pusch Ridge girls tennis team beat Thatcher 5-4 to advance to Friday’s Class 2A/3A tennis semifinals against Phoenix Country Day at the Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale.

The doubles team of Sami Towne and Tanya Hetlinger won the No. 2 match to seal it for Pusch Ridge 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.

Boys golf

Immaculate Heart’s Ian Patterson shot a two-round 144 for a fourth-place finish Tuesday in the 1A/2A boys golf state championship. Pusch Ridge’s Lou Christensen (146) was fifth.

Citizen Staff Writers and Freelance
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

If there was any question whether Sahuaro was ready for the postseason, the Cougars answered Monday with a dominating win over Flowing Wells.

Sahuaro, the top seed in the Class 4A/5A Division II boys volleyball tournament, used fast starts in all three games to beat up on No. 16 Flowing Wells 3-0 (25-15, 25-7, 25-20).

“We came out fired up,” said Sahuaro coach Sandy Novak. “The seniors know this is their last shot.”

Sahuaro hosts No. 8 Cienega at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 4A/5A-II quarterfinals. Cienega swept Palo Verde 3-0 in Monday’s opening round.

In Monday’s win at Sahuaro, the Cougars jumped out to 14-3 leads in each of the first two games, trying to quickly erase any thoughts visiting Flowing Wells had of pulling off the first-round upset.

“(As the No. 1 seed) we know that we are the team with the target on our backs,” Novak said. “We have to play like we can handle it and we can.”

Although the score in the third game was much closer, Sahuaro was never in jeopardy of losing.

“We passed really well, which set up our offense,” Novak said. “We had some big kills.”

Dillon Kennedy finished with seven kills to lead Sahuaro 32-3.

Sahuaro had three others – Kyle Tatum, Scott Salerno and Bryce Brucker – with six kills.

Mitchell Toone and Kyle Tatum added 15 assists.

No. 3 Catalina 3, No. 14 Phoenix Barry Goldwater 0 (25-12, 25-10, 25-13): At Catalina, Marcellious Gibbs made the most of his first start of the season.

Gibbs had 12 kills as the Trojans defended their home court and advanced to Wednesday’s quarterfinals; they will host No. 6 Tempe McClintock at 6:30 p.m.

“I thought we played well and handled business,” said Gibbs, a sophomore. “If we had a tough situation, our setter Jared (Simte) got us out of it. . . . If we need the kill, I’m there for the support to get a kill or two.”

During the second game, Gibbs picked up three straight kills and capped a 7-0 run, putting the Trojans up 18-7.

“He’s really been working hard the past two weeks in practice,” Catalina coach Heather Moore-Martin said. “With how good Marcellious was playing, I couldn’t keep him off the floor. He kept working really hard in the middle and getting up for the quick (shots). He earned a spot (on the starting rotation) and was able to retain it.”

Catalina (35-3) beat Goldwater 3-1 earlier in the season, and never felt threatened in Monday’s match.

“I was nervous because it was the first round of state,” said Simte, one of the team’s four seniors, who had 30 assists. “We did a really good job of establishing our middles and once we got that going, we got our outside hitting going. (Gibbs) is our secret weapon in state.”

Goldwater was forced into several errors, allowing Catalina to make several big runs and control the tempo. Catalina also served up 10 aces.

“We weren’t into it and got lazy,” Goldwater hitter T.J. Tallent said. “They got a lot of aces on us and killed us on passing.”

ASH FRIEDERICH

sports@tucsoncitizen.com

Class 4A/5A Division I

The Salpointe boys volleyball team controlled its match against No. 13 Chandler Basha in the first round of the Class 4A/5A Division I state tournament.

The fourth-seeded Lancers won 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-20) and host No. 5 Gilbert Mesquite at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

Class 1A/2A Boys Golf

Pusch Ridge’s Lou Christensen shot an even-par 72 (third place) and Immaculate Heart’s Ian Patterson fired a 74 (tied for fifth), and both are in the top five heading into Tuesday’s final-round action of the 1A/2A boys golf championship at the Cave Creek Golf Course.

Staff writer Raymond Suarez contributed to this article.

Citizen Staff Writer
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

Salpointe Catholic High School boys volleyball coach Amy Johnson likes how her team has been playing down the stretch.

Salpointe defeated Mountain View 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-12) Thursday to capture the Class 5A Southern Region tournament championship.

“We’re right where we need to be,” Johnson said. “There are a couple of adjustments we’ll make depending on who we’ll play next week (in the state tournament).”

Salpointe will host a first-round match Monday in the Class 5A/4A Division I state tournament. That opponent has not yet been determined as tournament brackets are not expected to be released until Friday by the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

The Lancers endured ups and downs, especially in the second game, before getting on track.

Mountain View led 11-7 in Game 2 before Salpointe mounted a comeback.

“We were much more consistent in the second game. I yelled at them a little bit,” Johnson said. “I don’t know if that fired them up or what. . . . We need to be more consistent in everything.”

Salpointe got 14 kills from Alex Chavez and 29 assists from Pat Tunnell. Franc Smith contributed 16 digs.

Mountain View got 11 assists from Kris Darris and four kills from Richie Hamm.

Kino championship

At Palo Verde, No. 1 seed Sahuaro beat Rincon/University 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-14, 25-12).

Sonoran championship

Top seed Catalina Foothills swept Ironwood Ridge 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-21).

Gila championship

Catalina, the region’s top seed, beat Amphi 3-0 for the Gila tournament championship.

Citizen Staff Writer
THE BOUNCE

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

Matt McCune has taken advantage of his first opportunity of being a professional baseball player.

The 22-year-old Catalina Foothills High graduate signed with the independent Tucson Toros Wednesday after emerging from a list of local prospects.

“This is awesome,” said McCune during a press conference near the pitcher’s mound at Hi Corbett Field. “I am ready to get the season going. This is a good opportunity for me. It has always been my dream to be a professional baseball player. I am excited to pitch for the Tucson Toros.”

McCune, who works at a local UPS Store and also attends classes at the University of Arizona, was chosen from six pitchers invited back following Saturday’s tryout that drew 160 players.

“I knew I threw well even though no one spoke to me,” McCune said. “I felt I threw to my potential. I felt I did my job.”

McCune, a right-hander, went 5-0 at Foothills in his senior season of 2005, earning all-state honorable mention honors. He also played for GateWay Community College in Phoenix before going to Kansas Wesleyan University.

“He opened a lot of eyes,” Tucson manager Tim Johnson said. “We felt he was the right guy. I am going to put him in situations to get his feet wet a little bite and I am going to put him in situations where it’s going to be tough. We’re going to go game to game. But I feel good and our coaching staff feels good.

“He has good presence on the mound. He throws 88 and 89 (miles per hour). He’s not just a guy who tries to nibble. He know how to throw balls by guys. He has a good breaking ball and changeup. He has a good fastball.”

McCune was working his afternoon shift Tuesday at the UPS store near North Kolb Road and East Sunrise Drive when the Toros dropped in to tell him about the contract.

He plans to put his communication degree on hold at UA.

“I was leaning toward getting my degree in that and see what job openings there are,” McCune said. “Once I found out that the Toros were coming, there was nothing I wanted to be. I want to work hard and be a part of this club. I can always go back to (UA). This is my No. 1 priority.”

The Toros plan to invite 30-plus players to their spring training on Monday, including former local high school pitchers Jason Hanna and Tom Wihelmsen and Canadian Byron Bell, the club said.

Terry, Mavs need help

The Associated Press

DALLAS – Ex-UA Wildcat Jason Terry is the Dallas Mavericks’ mood-lifter, the guy who pumps up teammates and fans every chance he gets.

Yet after enduring a second straight pounding in Denver, Terry couldn’t even fake being positive on Tuesday.

“Not tonight,” he said, declining to be interviewed. “I don’t have anything tonight.”

The Mavericks went into this second-round series convinced they could hang with the Nuggets, pointing to three narrow losses in the regular season as proof of how close they were. Besides, they proudly noted, they were on their best roll of the season, having blown through the San Antonio Spurs in five games.

So far, Denver has toyed with Dallas. Denver is up 2-0 in the series and 6-0 for the season. The Mavs must win four of the next five. Game 3 is Saturday in Dallas.

Citizen Staff Writer
TC Varsity

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

Nine seasons since his retirement as one of Major League Baseball’s all-time top closers, Doug Jones is still recording saves as a high school coach.

Jones has guided the Pusch Ridge Christian Academy baseball team to a 19-3 record and a spot in the Class 2A state baseball tournament.

Pusch Ridge plays Tombstone at noon Friday at Peoria Sports Complex.

The players say they are fortunate to have Jones, a five-time All-Star who ranks 20th on the all-time saves list with 303. With his trademark mustache, the 6-foot-2 right-hander baffled major-league hitters with his effective change-ups and other slow stuff and an intimidating stare for 16 years with seven teams.

“The chances of you getting a coach that played 18 years in the professional ball is slim,” Pusch Ridge senior third baseman Joey DeGroff said. “It’s nice to have that experience. We’ve learned a lot. It has been great.

“His coaching style is laid back, but he can be intense as well, which I think works for this program.”

Jones, 51, is no stranger to Pusch Ridge. His son, Dawson, is a senior pitcher-third baseman for the Lions, with a 6-0 record, 1.02 ERA and a .323 batting average.

Two other sons, Dustin and Dillon Jones, also played for Pusch Ridge. The two are on the baseball team at Masters College in Los Angeles.

Jones had been helping coach Pusch Ridge players since his oldest son played for the Lions in 2000, but he took over officially as head coach this season.

He worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks as a pitching consultant before returning to Pusch Ridge. He was asked to take over the team until the school hires a replacement next season.

Jones takes little credit for the season Pusch Ridge is having.

“We lost two seniors from last year who were in the lineup,” Jones said. “We had four starters from junior class and three from sophomore class. They are going to have a good team next year.”

Senior first baseman-outfielder Andy Knox, who is hitting .472 for the Lions, says Jones’ experience has been a key factor.

“He has so much knowledge from playing in the major leagues for so many years,” Knox said.

Jones was drafted by the Brewers in 1978, after playing for Central Arizona College, making his major league debut in 1982. His big break came with the Cleveland organization, when he was converted from a starter to a reliever in 1985.

“They told me go to the bullpen or go home,” Jones told the Tucson Citizen back in 2002.

In 1988, Jones led the Indians with 37 saves and was one of the top relievers in the game.

Jones stayed with Cleveland through 1991 before moving around on an almost yearly basis. He played for Houston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, the Chicago Cubs, had second stints with Milwaukee and Cleveland, and finally Oakland in 1999-2000.

He was the oldest player in the majors in 2000 at 43. He held the Indians’ all-time record for saves with 129 until Bob Wickman broke it on May 7, 2006.

“Obviously, our record (reflects Jones’ experience),” said DeGroff, who is hitting .300, “and hopefully we can carry it on in the playoffs.”

Pusch Ridge fell short of the state tourney last season.

“We’ve heard comments from teams who say we’re going to choke again,” DeGroff said. “We’re out to prove them wrong.”

TC VARSITY, PAGE 6C

• The Ironwood Ridge boys volleyball team beat Marana on Wednesday, setting up a rematch with Catalina Foothills for the Sonoran Region championship.

• Chris Klassen “bleeds Palo Verde” and has been named the school’s new boys basketball coach.

JONES IN MAJORS

Seasons 16 (1982, 1986-2000)

Saves 303

W-L 69-79

ERA 3.30

IP 1,128.1

Strikeouts 909

SEASON BESTS

W-L 11-8 (1992, Astros)

ERA 1.85 (1992, Astros)

Saves 43 (1990, Indians)

ALL-TIME MLB SAVES LEADERS

1. Trevor Hoffman 558

2. Mariano Rivera 487

3. Lee Smith 478

4. John Franco 424

5. Dennis Eckersley 390

6. Billy Wagner 385

7. Jeff Reardon 367

8. Troy Percival 355

9. Randy Myers 347

10. Rollie Fingers 341

11. John Wetteland 330

12. Roberto Hernandez 326

13. Jose Mesa 321

14. Todd Jones 319

15. Rick Aguilera 318

16. Robb Nen 314

17. Tom Henke 311

18. Goose Gossage 310

19. Jeff Montgomery 304

20. Doug Jones 303

Citizen Staff Writer
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFFS

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

As a freshman, Hunter Miller has had to wait his turn to be in the spotlight this season.

That changed with one swing of the bat Tuesday.

Miller delivered a two-out, bottom of the seventh inning RBI single to left field, driving in the winning run as host Salpointe Catholic High School rallied to defeat Gilbert High 13-12 Tuesday in a Class 5A Division I elimination bracket game.

“I just felt confident in that at-bat,” said Miller, who had drawn two walks in his previous two plate appearances. “I got a good pitch and put a good swing on it.”

Salpointe, the No. 12 seed, moves on to play either Mesa Red Mountain or Scottsdale Desert Mountain on Thursday at Tempe Diablo Stadium in the elimination game of the double-elimination tournament.

The game-winning hit, which came with the game tied at 12, was set up when Joe Serrano reached base on a fielder’s choice grounder off Gilbert pitcher Thor Nelson. Serrano then stole second, followed by Salpointe’s Dan Slania drawing an intentional walk, setting Miller up with runners on first and second with two outs.

“I was looking for a pitch down and in,” Miller said. “That’s my sweet pitch.”

Gilbert, the No. 13 seed, took a 6-5 lead after scoring in the top of the sixth inning, followed by a seven-run bottom of the sixth by Salpointe. The Lancers’ 12-6 lead wouldn’t last, though. Gilbert tied the game with six runs in the top of the seventh.

“When we went to the bottom of the seventh tied, we knew we could get a run,” Miller said. “It was just a matter of who was going to get it. We’re very confident. We are a family. We were just relying on each other to get a clutch hit.”

Salpointe coach Dan Preble took the blame for Gilbert’s rally, saying he left Slania on the mound too long.

“I looked like a big idiot leaving Dan in so long,” Preble said. “I wanted him to finish. He deserved it. He just ran out of gas.” Slania helped his team with his bat driving in two runs with a two-out double the sixth.

PLAYOFFS

• Thirty-nine southern Arizona Class 4A or 5A teams competed Tuesday in regional or state playoff games. More coverage, Page 6C Sscores and results, Page 5C

Citizen Staff Writer
TOROS OPENER

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

Talk about devotion.

Canadian Bryon Bell, 26, is crisscrossing the world to keep alive his dream of professional baseball.

His latest travels brought him to Tucson last weekend to try out for the Toros, the city’s new independent Golden Baseball League team. He was one of six pitchers – among 161 players – invited back this week for a closer look.

Getting here was no simple task for the 6-foot-6, 260-pound Bell, who spent last summer as a closer and shortstop in Belgium. He drove from Toronto to Pittsburgh to catch a flight to Phoenix.

“It was kinda last minute because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it down,” Bell said. “I ended up getting a flight and it didn’t work. I had to book one at the last minute. I’ve been staying in Scottsdale with a buddy and I drove down for the tryout.”

Get this. Bell headed back to Pittsburgh on Monday for a tryout with the independent Frontier League and may come back to Tucson for his return audition.

He’ll have to decide which league to play for if he gets offers from both.

The other five pitchers called back by the Toros were former local high school stars Jason Hanna (Palo Verde), Britt Echols (Rincon), Matt McCune (Catalina Foothills) and Tom Wilhelmsen (Tucson High) and Lyndon Poole of Glendale, Calif.

Asked what position he plays, Bell replied, “I don’t know. That’s no lie.

“The last few years I’ve been a shortstop, right fielder for another team and I’ve closed and played third. I’ve been pitching and I’ve been hitting.”

For his Tucson tryout, Bell listed himself as a pitcher.

“I came and filled out a position player’s card, but I asked them to give me a shot off the mound,” he said. “I’ve been closing the last couple of years for fun. I’ve got options and they got options, which is nice.”

Bell signed with Toronto as a free agent out of junior college as a pitcher in 2003. He was in the Blue Jays minor league system for three seasons before being released.

Bell has bounced around, playing in Europe, Australia and Venezuela. He was used mostly as a hitter. He batted .275 with a team leading nine home runs and 28 RBIs in Venezuela.

He’s hoping to earn a spot in the Toros training camp, which begins May 11 with 30 players. The season starts May 21, when Tucson needs to be down to a 22-man roster.

“You talk to scouts and they tell you to keep working on it. That’s why I am here,” Bell said. “Maybe I have a chance.”

And if he doesn’t make it here, at least he’s racked up a lot of frequent flier miles.

TOROS OPENER

• Chico (Calif.) at Tucson, 7 p.m. May 21, Hi Corbett Field

• Tickets: 325-1010

Citizen Staff Writer
HS ROUNDUP

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

The Class 4A Gila Region baseball race got even closer Tuesday.

Sahuarita, riding an eight-game win streak, could have clinched the league title with a win over second-place Catalina.

But Catalina (20-6 overall, 8-2 in league play) had other plans, beating the host Mustangs 3-1 in nine innings to pull within a half game of Sahuarita (17-4, 9-2).

“This ties us in the loss column, but we’re a half game behind because we have played fewer games,” said Catalina coach Tony Gabusi. “We’ve got two (games) to play and they have one game.

“We’ve put ourselves where we want to be going into the regional (tournament next week). You want to be at the top rather the bottom fighting to get in. We’ve been playing good baseball like this the last three weeks. The guys are ready.”

Sahuarita can clinch at least a tie for the conference title with a win Thursday at Palo Verde. Catalina plays Palo Verde on Wednesday and Douglas on Thursday.

“Our goal was to win the conference and go to the state playoffs,” Sahuarita coach Sam Gelardi said. “We think we have enough (power) points to get in. Hopefully, we can win the conference with a win Thursday.”

Catalina and Sahuarita are in the top eight in the 4A-II Power Rankings, putting them in line for potential first-round home games in the state tournament.

Both teams got outstanding pitching performances from their starters Tuesday. Catalina’s Robert Pearson went six innings and Sahuarita’s Josh Scoggin turned in 8 1/2 innings.

Anthony Romero pitched the last two innings to record the win for Catalina.

“Robert Pearson did a great job,” Gabusi said. “His strike one efficiency got better at the middle and end of the game. We preach that every game. Anthony came in with strike one almost every hitter. That was huge. Robert was a little under the weather but he sucked it up today.”

Each team managed just six hits in the extra-inning game.

“We didn’t get the runs early that we needed to get,” Gelardi said. “They had good pitchers. I thought the key was the sixth inning. We had tied the game and had bases loaded and no outs. I figured we would come up with a base hit. We were banking on it.”

Catalina took a 1-0 lead in the sixth when Sahuarita’s Brad Crim tied the score with a homer in the bottom half of the inning.

Pearson doubled to drive in the tie-breaking run in the ninth and Nico Blank followed with a run-scoring single.

“We’ve come back from deficits before,” Pearson said. “I knew there was no problem with us coming back in this game. I have a lot of faith in my teammates.”

Sunnyside 6, Mountain View 5 (10 innings): At Mountain View, Sunnyside freshman Benny Garcia hit a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the 10th inning after fouling off five straight pitches with a two-strike count, giving the Blue Devils enough offense to clinch the 5A-II Southern Region championship.

“It was a heck of an at-bat,” Sunnyside coach Ernie Palomarez said. “Then he got that double right down the left field line, right past their third baseman’s glove.”

Mountain View (12-10, 4-2) scored all five runs in the first inning last week in a game that was suspended because of darkness and concluded Tuesday.

After Sunnyside (19-7, 5-1) went up 6-5 in the top of the 10th, it allowed the first two Mountain View hitters to reach base before retiring the next two.

After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Mountain View’s Robert Kallal sent a blast to deep left field where Jose Gomez, who pitched the first eight innings of the game, made a running catch about 10 feet from the fence, according to Palomarez.

Sunnyside plays 5A-I Southern Region champion Tucson High on Wednesday. The double-elimination 5A state tournament will begins on Saturday.

Softball

Douglas started its high school softball program during the 1979-80 season.

Tuesday, thanks in part to pitching ace Erica Tapia and four-year starting third baseman Katie Campbell, the Bulldogs beat visiting Amphi 14-1 in five innings, clinching the 4A Gila Region title, the school’s first region championship in softball.

Tapia improved to 22-1 in the pitchers circle this season and Campbell hit her sixth home run to go along with a .515 batting average for coach Abe Grijalva’s Douglas squad.

“It was pretty special,” said Grijalva, who has been the team’s head coach for 13 years.

High School Sports Editor Geoff Grammer contributed to this article.

Citizen Staff Writer
TUCSON OPENER

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

Out of college options, outfielder Armando Moran had nothing to lose when he tried out for the new Tucson Toros.

The 2005 Rincon School High graduate performed so well that he signed his first professional contract.

Unlike many of the other Toros players, this is Moran’s first try at pro ball. He was not signed by a Major League team after playing for Central Arizona and Chandler-Gilbert Community colleges. He tried to walk on at the University of Arizona, but was turned away.

That’s where the Toros, part of the independent Golden Baseball League, came in.

“I had a phone call in January saying that there was a tryout and they wanted me to come out to see what I could provide for this team,” Moran said. “After the third tryout, they asked me to sign with them. That is where I’m at so far.”

Moran and the Toros will begin play May 21 at Hi Corbett Field.

“I wanted to pursue my career in baseball,” he said. “I felt this was a great opportunity to get exposed to the scouting and get a chance to play professionally for an MLB team.”

He hit .460 for Rincon/University in 2005 – the second-highest average in school history behind Luke Johnson (.523), also in 2005 – and was named to the Tucson Citizen All-Star second team.

Moran is the second Rincon grad on the Toros roster, along with veteran left-handed pitcher Jason Jacome.

The Toros are still signing players. There are two outfielders, including Moran, on the roster.

He is aware this could be his last chance to impress scouts.

“If we do well, we won’t be here during the playoffs,” Moran said. “They will probably (sign) us three-quarters of the way (into) the season.”

TOROS OPENER

• Chico (Calif.) at Tucson, 7 p.m. Thursday, May 21, Hi Corbett Field

• Tickets: 325-1010

Citizen Staff Writer
UA SOFTBALL

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

After a 2-1 loss to second-ranked UCLA on Friday at Hillenbrand Stadium, Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea took several minutes to stress to his team that it had better get used to close games.

The Wildcats are sure to be in their share of down-to-the-wire battles the rest of the season.

Despite losing to the Bruins, No. 10 Arizona stayed in first place at 8-3 in the Pac-10 over UCLA, which is 8-4.

Arizona ran into pitcher Megan Langenfeld, who beat the Wildcats earlier this year in Los Angeles.

Friday, Langenfeld (9-0) allowed four hits and struck out eight in cooling the red-hot UA bats.

“She had our number,” Candrea said. “We did not make the adjustments. I didn’t see anything different than what she was doing to us at UCLA . . .

“I thought we competed hard but at times we didn’t compete smart. We hit the panic button on numerous at-bats.”

Arizona (36-10) got its only run on Brittany Lastrapes’ 14th homer of the year in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 2-1.

“We never got it going,” Lastrapes said. “We never had runners in scoring position. We never got started offensively, which is strange.

“We tried to do too much instead of getting base hits.”

Sarah Akamine (16-5) threw five scoreless innings before the Bruins got two runs in the top of the sixth. The big hit was a two-run single from Dani Yudin.

“There was a lot of pressure in this game. But like coach (Candrea) said, we have to get used to playing these types of games,” Akamine said. “That’s all we’re going to see from here on out.”

• Box score, 5C

UA SOFTBALL

The UA softball team holds its final regular-season games this weekend at Hillenbrand Stadium:

Saturday: Washington, 7 p.m.

Sunday: Washington, noon

Citizen Staff Writer
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

Chalk one up for the student.

Casa Grande baseball coach Kent Winslow, who coached the Salpointe Catholic baseball team in 2008, made his return to the school Thursday.

Salpointe, now coached by former Winslow player and assistant coach Danny Preble, beat up on the visiting Cougars 12-2 in a game stopped after five innings.

Preble and the Lancers also beat Winslow’s team earlier this season 11-3 in Casa Grande.

“I learned a lot from (Winslow) last year,” Preble said. “I am upset that he left because I didn’t get to learn more from him. But at the same time I get my chance now. It has been fun.”

Preble has Salpointe (15-10) in contention for the Class 5A-I Southern Region title with a 3-1 league record. Tucson High is 4-1 in region games. The two teams play Friday at Salpointe.

“We’ve got three huge ball games left and the goal has always been to play on May 2,” Preble said, referring to the day the 5A-I state playoffs begin.

Salpointe extended its winning streak to seven. Casa Grande fell to 4-19-2 on the season.

“We’ve been playing well,” Preble said. “The kids are starting to buy into the process we introduced at the beginning of the year. It took us a few weeks. We took our lumps. They’re really buying in and having fun doing it. It shows on the field.”

Salpointe collected 13 hits and got a combined four-hitter from pitchers A.J. Alexander and Mike Sjoquist in Thursday’s victory.

Alexander gave up all four hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out one.

Alexander aided his own cause with two hits and two RBIs at the plate.

Salpointe scored two runs in the top of the first and three more in the second.

Sahuarita 5, Douglas 0: At Douglas, pitcher Josh Scoggin carried a perfect game through 5 1/2 innings and struck out 10 hitters as Sahuarita took over sole possession of first place in the 4A Gila Region standings with a 6-1 record.

Scoggin ended up with a one-hitter, keeping the Mustangs in second place in the 4A Division II Power Rankings.

Douglas falls to 6-2 in league play.

Amphi 4, Palo Verde 2: Junior Alex Brown took over on the mound and at the plate in the Panthers’ victory.

With the Titans up 1-0 in the first inning, Brown hit a three-run homer to help his own cause.

On the mound, Brown finished with nine strikeouts while giving up only three hits.

Brown’s first-inning homer gave him three homers in his last three at-bats. In his past three games on the mound, he has allowed just six hits.

Ironwood Ridge 4, Sierra Vista Buena 3: With two outs in the top of the seventh, junior Will Meyer hit the go-ahead RBI single to win it for the Nighthawks. Junior Alex Worden scored the winning run.

Cholla 16, Marana 6: Juniors Nick Ochoa and Rene Ortiz did their part for the Chargers. Ochoa finished 3 for 3 with two RBIs while Ortiz went 3 for 4 with two RBIs.

Clarification

An item published on Thursday’s TC Varsity high school sports page did not include the contact information for Bryan Huie, who is conducting a May 23 tryout for his Chicago White Sox fall scout team.

For information on the tryouts, which will be held at Sahuarita High School, call Huie at 850-1579.

The team is open to baseball players in southern Arizona who will be in high school during the 2009-10 school year.

Staff writers Raymond Suarez and Geoff Grammer contributed to this article.

Citizen Staff Writer
HIGH SCHOOL TRACK & FIELD

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

It wasn’t how Donovan Grant dreamed of starting his senior track and field season.

The Mountain View standout contracted walking pneumonia after the basketball season. Grant missed two weeks of the track season, putting him behind the curve.

“I had to work a lot harder on getting in shape,” Grant said.

It didn’t take Grant long to make an impact when he did return.

The defending Class 5A Division II state champion in the long jump finished first in the event at the Willie Williams Invitational on March 21 with a winning jump of 23 feet, 5 1/2 inches.

“I was surprised at that because I was really sore,” Grant said.

“I was lifting and running a lot. That’s when I really got back in shape. I was surprised by my jumping ability.”

His winning leap at the 2008 state championship was 23 feet, 6 1/2 inches. After his initial success this season at the Williams Invitational for the longest jump of the season so far at the 5A-II level, Grant plateaued a bit.

“After that I have been going mostly 22s,” Grant said. “Hopefully, I can take a break and get me back up. I’ve basically been jumping on tired legs.”

Grant hasn’t slacked off in his preparation for the regional meet.

Wednesday, he won the long jump (22-4) and triple jump (43-9) for the Mountain Lions in a triangular meet with Ironwood Ridge and Rincon/University at Mountain View.

Ironwood Ridge’s boys team defeated Rincon (84-69) and Mountain View (57).

Mountain View and Rincon tied for first in the girls competition with 67 points. Ironwood Ridge finished third with 48 points.

Grant also placed fourth in the high jump (5-8).

“My legs are tired,” Grant said. “We were lifting hard this weekend, and I still had to compete on tired legs. You can’t win them all. It’s hard to jump on tired legs.”

Grant is still learning the ins and outs about track in just his third year competing in the sport.

“I am really not that strong,” he said. “I mostly work on my jumping ability. I think I have a lot” to learn.

There are others who believe Grant has a future in track. Arizona extended him a partial scholarship offer, but he has chosen the full scholarship offer from Central Arizona College instead.

“It wasn’t the right move for me,” Grant explained of not going to UA right out of high school. “I am not sure I am ready for a big university. I decided to go to Central because they focus on working hard and academics, and they offered me a full ride.”

Grant has set a long jump goal of 24-0 for the season.

“The 23-5 that I did at Willie Williams, my form wasn’t exactly right,” he said. “But five inches is only a little. I know I can go 24 with my ability. My goal was to go farther and to high jump 6-8. I know I have the ability to go 45 or 46 (in triple jump) but techniquewise I need to work on that.”

Citizen Staff Writer
TUCSON TOROS BASEBALL

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

Tucson manager Tim Johnson jokingly knows what former Milwaukee Brewers teammate Robin Yount will do to his son, Dustin, if Dustin has any slump with the Toros this season.

“He’ll boot him in the behind,” said Johnson.

Dustin Yount won’t be able to match his father’s Hall of Fame career, but he hopes to use this season as a springboard to another major-league organization. The Scottsdale Chaparral High graduate was released by Baltimore in 2007, failing to get past Double-A in seven seasons.

He can play first base, left field or designated hitter for the Toros, who begin their first season next month at Hi Corbett Field as a member of the independent Golden Baseball League.

“This is great opportunity,” Dustin Yount said. “Hopefully, you can have someone notice you and give you a chance to play somewhere – and get back on track to the big leagues.”

Yount knows Johnson well, having played 91 games for him last season for the Lincoln (Neb.) Saltdogs, batting .309 with eight home runs and 69 RBIs.

“He has the great genes in him,” Johnson said. “He has power and can hit to all fields. He’s a good fielder.

“He’s a big-time leader. He adds a lot of respect to the game because his dad did it right.”

Yount, 26, grew up around the Milwaukee Brewers’ clubhouse. He was born a week after his dad’s team fell to St. Louis in the 1982 World Series – the elder Yount was AL MVP that season – and was there in 1999 when his father was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Johnson was the Brewers’ everyday shortstop in 1973 before an 18-year-old Robin Yount grabbed his spot the next year and went on to hit .285 in 19 seasons with 3,142 hits.

“I’ve known Timmy for a long time,” Dustin Yount said. “When he ended up coming here (Tucson), I knew I would like to play here.

“(Johnson) is a positive guy and he’s a lot of fun. He doesn’t let you get out of line.”

Dustin Yount was a ninth-round draft pick of the Orioles out of high school, but he never hit more than .271 in the minors. He spent the last two seasons playing independent baseball in Saint Joseph, Mo., and in Lincoln.

He wants to prove last year’s .309 batting average with Lincoln was no accident.

“I still love to play. I still feel like I can play and have the ability to go somewhere in this game,” Yount said. “It’s still hard to shut it down.”

TOROS OPENER

• Chico (Calif.) at Tucson, 7 p.m. May 21, Hi Corbett Field

• Tickets: 325-1010

DUSTIN YOUNT’S MINOR LEAGUE TOTALS

Seasons: 8

Batting average: .255

At-bats: 2,580

Hits: 657

Doubles: 137

Triples: 7

Home runs: 71

Runs batted in: 401

Strikeouts: 585

• Did you know? Yount wears No. 19, the same jersey number as his father, Hall of Famer Robin Yount.