Desert Oasis bests Bonanza, stays alive for playoffs

Desert Oasis’ baseball team found itself with its back against the wall and clinging to life in the late innings on Tuesday.

It wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar position.

The Diamondbacks gunned down a key Bonanza runner on the bases, then took advantage of six ninth-inning walks to rally for a 9-3 win over the Bengals and keep their postseason hopes alive.

“We’ve been playing playoff baseball for two weeks now, playing for our lives and not letting this one go,” said junior Jordyn Compehos, who threw eight strong innings to get the win.

Desert Oasis, Bonanza and Durango are tied for the Southwest League’s final playoff spot at 8-7 with one game to play. The Diamondbacks (13-10) need to beat Pahrump Valley on Thursday to stay alive.

Bonanza (14-15) takes on Durango on Thursday. If Desert Oasis and Bonanza both win, the Diamondbacks would earn the final berth because they swept the Bengals. If Desert Oasis and Durango both win, Durango would advance on a tiebreaker.

“We’re kind of like that ugly girl that’s trying to find a date to the dance next week,” Desert Oasis coach Mike Besser said. “We’ll knock on everyone’s door until someone opens it or we bust through one of them.”

The Diamondbacks led 3-2 going into the bottom of the seventh, but Bonanza broke through with the tying run and very nearly won the game. Pinch hitter Robert Riggs hit a one-out double into the right-field corner, but was gunned down at third base trying to stretch it into a triple. Daniel Romero followed that with a single, and he scored on Austin Taft’s double to left center to tie the game.

Bonanza starter Braiden Gray also went eight strong innings, but was lifted at the start of the ninth after throwing 128 pitches. Reliever Nick Risucci struggled with his control, walking four of the five batters he faced, including Tyler Condie with the bases loaded to force home the go-ahead run.

Joe Paratore added a three-run double to cap the scoring, then threw a scoreless ninth to secure the victory.

Paratore was 2-for-4 with five RBIs for Desert Oasis, which now must hope for a Bonanza win on Thursday.

“It’s a situation where you wish it could be left on the field, but unfortunately, it’s not,” Besser said. “All we can do is take care of our part of the business and get a win Thursday against Pahrump and let the chips fall where they may.

“I know our guys have given their best effort the last three weeks and put themselves in this position. There’s nothing more they could have done.”