Coronado tops Bonanza to remain alive
Coronado baseball coach Mike Evans isn’t an overly superstitious person, and that turned out to be a good thing for his team Tuesday.
Evans was undeterred after watching his squad commit four first-inning errors in an elimination game, and his patience paid off.
Seventh-seeded Coronado overcame the rough start, rallying to defeat No. 3 Bonanza 12-6 in the American Legion state tournament at Wilson Stadium.
The victory lifted the Cougars (14-12) into Wednesday’s 8 p.m. losers’ bracket semifinal. They will face the loser of the Sierra Vista-Reno game, which was played late Tuesday.
“It’s a nine-inning game,” said Evans, noting that his team has been prone to errors this season. “So we weren’t too worried. We gave up some errors, but we hit the ball well.”
Indeed, Evans’ son Brandon Evans led Coronado’s 14-hit attack, going 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. The Cougars eventually took control in the third inning, when they scored five runs.
“I knew there was plenty of time to come back,” said the younger Evans, whose team finished the game with five errors. “I was really confident at the plate tonight, and I wanted to do everything I could to help the team.”
The Cougars, whose first-inning miscues allowed the Bengals to score two unearned runs, chipped away at the deficit when Steven Pollex drove in a second-inning run with a single to right field to make the score 2-1.
Bonanza starter Kyle Ross came unraveled in the third after hitting three batters with wild pitches and surrendering singles to Matt Hall, R.J. Cash and Evans to give Coronado a 6-2 lead.
Though the Bengals answered with a run in the bottom of the third, the Cougars roughed up two more Bonanza pitchers, adding five runs in the next three innings to keep the lead comfortable.
Brandon Evans said timely hitting was the key.
“We’ve always been able to hit the ball,” he said. “When we get the hits at the right time, we can play with anybody.”
Hall, who helped the Cougars by going 2-for-6 with a double and three RBIs, also struck out 12 while pitching the distance. Teammate Justin Grenier went 2-for-5 with two doubles.
Kris Bryant went 4-for-5 with three RBIs to lead Bonanza (14-12). Teammate Robert Delp went 3-for-5 with a double.
Reno 13, Sierra Vista 11 — In the late game, Zachary Sanford went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to help the sixth-seeded Knights upset No. 2 Sierra Vista.
The Lions kept it close through three innings, but Reno (38-15) scored six runs in the fourth to open up a 12-4 lead. A late Sierra Vista rally fell short.
Jake Hager, Matt Holman and Andrew Garcia each went 3-for-6 to lead the Lions (41-16).
With the victory, the Knights earned a Wednesday bye. On Thursday, they will face the winner of today’s 8 p.m. between Coronado and Sierra Vista.