Sierra Vista dominant in baseball win

Jake Hager believes Sierra Vista’s baseball team will be tough to beat this season thanks to a “solid lineup one through nine” loaded with experience.

Hager, the team’s leadoff hitter, has as much to do with that as anyone.

The senior shortstop went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, a grand slam and seven RBIs to lead Sierra Vista to a 14-3 home win over Coronado on Saturday.

“The four years we’ve known (Hager), he’s worked so hard,” Sierra Vista coach Nate Selby said. “He’s put in a lot of time and effort. He’s just reaping the rewards.”

Hager’s grand slam to left field on a full-count fastball with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning invoked the run rule to end the game.

“I was thinking fastball. I thought it was going to happen,” said Hager, who has signed with Arizona State. “I didn’t think I was going to hit a home run, but I just put good contact on it, and it went out.”

Hager also had a two-run triple off the wall in center to key a three-run third inning that put Sierra Vista (8-0) up 6-0.

Scott Tomassetti blasted a two-run homer to left that put the Mountain Lions ahead 10-3 in the fifth.

Tomassetti, who had four home runs all last year, has five this season.

“He’s having a great year,” Hager said. “He’s feeling good, he’s got a lot of confidence in himself, and he’s hitting the ball hard.”

Jake Findlay and Robert Lee both went 2-for-3 for Sierra Vista.

The Mountain Lions have outscored teams 79-29 during their 8-0 start, which includes seven victories over teams that reached last year’s Class 4A playoffs.

Sierra Vista opens Southwest League play at home Tuesday against Durango.

“Certainly it’s nice to get some wins against quality opponents, but it always comes down to whether you can play well at the end,” Selby said. “In May no one will care what we did in March, so we’re working toward the end.”

Steven Pollex had a two-run double and drew two walks for Coronado (5-4), which left the bases loaded in the second and fifth innings.