Howard’s walk-off homer nets Coronado playoff bid

Cody Howard had never hit a walk-off home run. After being mobbed at home plate by his Coronado teammates, the senior center fielder isn’t likely to soon forget the feeling.

Howard led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a blast over the left-field fence, giving the host Cougars a crucial 11-10 victory over Green Valley.

“That was my first walk-off home run ever, and that was way better than any home run I’ve ever hit,” Howard said with a smile.

Howard’s heroics helped Coronado (22-6, 10-2) stay in first place in the deep Southeast League and clinch a spot in the Sunrise Region playoffs.

Howard said he guessed correctly on a 1-2 pitch by Green Valley reliever Royal Bradley to end the game.

“(Bradley) came at me with a fastball to start the count, then two curveballs, and I had a feeling he was going to come with another curveball because I was a little out in front,” Howard said. “So I stayed back on that last one and drove it, and I thought I had a chance. I was just hoping it carried out, and then once I heard everybody cheering, I knew it was gone.”

Howard struck out three times and reached on an error in his first four at-bats, but Coronado coach David Padilla’s faith in the senior was rewarded.

“I’ve got so much joy for that kid. He works as hard as anybody out here,” Padilla said. “He struggled in the first part of the day, and then he finally got a pitch and he handled it. There’s just so much emotion of relief, excitement, energy, joy, all of it. It’s just unbelievable.”

Coronado’s Chris Johnson entered as a pinch hitter in the sixth and wound up 2-for-2, including a two-run single up the middle to tie the game at 10 in the seventh.

"Chris Johnson was huge today," Padilla said. "He just gets on base, whether it's a hit, an error, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, the kid's going to get on base, and he's a sparkplug."

Green Valley (15-13, 7-5) put runners at second and third with two outs in the eighth, but Coronado reliever Chandler Blanchard got Bradley to ground out.

The Cougars overcame six errors, including four in the fifth when Green Valley scored five runs to take a 10-4 lead.

Junior catcher Kaleb Blyton went 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs for Coronado, and Miles Bice (three RBIs), Dillon Fahr and Michael Pollex added two hits each.

Coronado starter Kenny Oakley, a right-hander who has signed with UNLV, struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings.

Green Valley’s Evan Van Hoosier hit a solo homer in the first inning and finished 2-for-2 with three runs and three intentional walks.

Keola Paragas was 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Gators, and Jack Miller (two RBIs), Keaton Smith and Bradon Rogers added two hits apiece.

Green Valley starter Alec Hutt pitched perfect third, fourth and fifth innings.