SUNRISE BASEBALL: Skelly helps Patriots shake early jitters, move into region final

Liberty baseball coach Nick Didier thought his team came out a little tight Wednesday at the Sunrise Region baseball tournament at Las Vegas High.

It didn’t take the Patriots long to shake the butterflies, as they got a strong pitching performance from Dan Skelly in a 9-2 win over Rancho in the winners’ bracket final.

Skelly gave up one earned run on six hits in five innings.

“In short, Dan pitched his butt off today,” Didier said. “He kept their hitters off balance. We were tight in the beginning, but once we got into the game we loosened up. Sometimes, you just have to go out and play through the adversity.”

A second-inning outburst helped Liberty settle in.

The Patriots scored five times in that second inning, keyed by a bases-loaded walk to Giovanni Battistoni, a run-scoring single from Preston Pavlica, and a two-run double from James Martz.

Liberty got another run in the third, then added a pair in the fourth. That was more than enough for Skelly, who scattered four hits in the first five innings.

Liberty (26-4) moves into the championship round and will play at 1 p.m. on Friday. Green Valley plays Coronado in an elimination game at 1 p.m. today, with the winner meeting Rancho at 4 for the right to play Liberty.

Should Liberty lose the first game on Friday, a second would be played to determine the champion.

Rancho got to Skelly for two runs in the sixth, but Battistoni relieved and got the final six outs.

Pavlica had four hits and scored three times for the Patriots, and Martz drove in four for Liberty.

Modler had two hits and drove in a run for Rancho (21-14).

Green Valley 3, Foothill 2 — Christian Hall’s squeeze bunt scored Anthony Hatch in the 11th inning to keep the Gators’ season alive.

Hatch started the winning rally with a one-out single. Jarod Penniman hit a grounder to second, but A.J. Mortel misplayed the ball, and Green Valley had runners at second and third.

Hall then put down a perfect squeeze bunt two pitches later for the win.

Foothill (21-11) took a two-run lead in the fifth on RBI doubles from Anthony Lopez and Mortel.

Green Valley (23-10) answered in the sixth with run-scoring hits by Keola Paragas and Ryan Jackson.

Coronado 18, Basic 9 — Michael Maiello hit three of the Cougars’ five home runs as they eliminated the Wolves.

Julian Burrola and Tyler Brown each added a two-run shot.

Maiello and Burrola homered during a six-run Coronado first, and the Cougars never looked back. Coronado (28-3) pounded out 21 hits against four Basic pitchers.

James Anderson was 4-for-5 for Coronado. Maiello had four RBIs, and Brown had three hits and drove in three runs. Each Coronado starter had at least one hit.

Tyler Long drove in four runs with a double and a triple to lead the Wolves. Andrew Church had three hits, including a homer, and drove in two runs for Basic (13-21).