GRIZZLY-BENGAL TOURNAMENT: Palo Verde leaves Bonanza in dust

Palo Verde coach Kevin Fiddler may never have been so happy to see a failed bunt attempt.

With his team trailing host Bonanza 6-3 and runners at first and second with no outs in the top of the sixth inning Tuesday, Fiddler gave Jerron Largusa a bunt sign.

Largusa pushed his bat at the first pitch and missed. Five pitches later, he ripped a double to left-center, plating the first of seven runs in the inning and helping the Panthers to a 12-7 win over the Bengals in the Grizzly-Bengal Spring Break Tournament.

“I wanted to give him one shot at it because our offense looked a little stale,” Fiddler said. “We let him give it one shot, and then we had to let him swing out of it. Those kind of things have been biting us in the butt lately, but it turned out pretty well. When he squares up a baseball, the ball jumps off his bat.”

Cobi Fiechtner added an RBI groundout before Will Hamilton’s single tied the game at 6-6. Austin Nilemo’s two-out single brought home two runs, and two more scored when Yodai Nakamura’s single to left was misplayed.

An inning that started with a hit batter, a walk and the missed bunt ended with seven runs on five hits and the Panthers (6-11) holding a 10-6 lead.

“This is a momentum-based team,” Fiddler said. “These guys thrive on positivity, and they sometimes falter under negativity. These guys have seen how quick things can go from one thing to another.”

Palo Verde tacked on two runs on two-out hits by Hamilton and J.D. Brooks in the seventh before the Bengals tried to rally.

Kolby Hannah’s single with one out in the bottom of the seventh closed the gap to 12-7, and Bonanza had the bases loaded, but Palo Verde reliever Sam Powers got a strikeout and a fly out to end the game.

Fiechtner was 4-for-5 with two triples, a double and an RBI. Brooks was 3-for-5 with a triple, a double and two RBIs, and Hamilton and Nilemo each went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Palo Verde, which has won three of its last four after beginning the season 3-10 with seven losses by two or fewer runs.

“To go through that as a high school player, they’re not seeing the bigger picture,” Fiddler said. “We kept trying to stress not getting lost staring at the tree when you’re in the middle of the forest.

“It’s tough. Losses dig deep. These guys have gotten a couple of nice wins, and they’re going up now and having a good time. The dugout demeanor is totally different. They seem to be having a good time and producing.”

Hunter Junge went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI for Bonanza.

Liberty 13, Foothill 2 — At Spring Valley, Jonny Gilleres went 2-for-2 with a run, and the Patriots scored seven runs in the top of the first inning on their way to a six-inning win over the Falcons.

Preston Pavlica was 1-for-2 with a double, two runs and two stolen bases, and Jacob Klein and Justin Lutes each doubled and had an RBI for Liberty.

Andrew Hauck was 1-for-3 with a run for Foothill.

Foothill 10, Legacy 0 — At Spring Valley, Austin Wilson tossed a five-inning four-hitter as the Falcons blanked the Longhorns.

Danny Hauck went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and three RBIs, and Spencer Throgmorton went 3-for-3 with a triple and two runs for Foothill. Shay Landers and Alec Mathis each went 2-for-3, and Ricky Kinney was 1-for-2 with a triple, two runs and two RBIs for the Falcons.

Legacy 11, Spring Valley 4 — At Spring Valley, Hayden LeCates was 2-for-3 with a triple, a double, three runs and two RBIs as the Longhorns downed the Grizzlies.

Daniel Zaragoza went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs, and Diego Portillo was 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Legacy.

Jake Sellinger was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, and Jaxson Otis went 2-for-4 with a double for Spring Valley.