SUNSET BASEBALL: Nuernberg, Spartans quiet Grizzlies
Cimarron-Memorial baseball coach Mike Hubel had a simple message for his seniors prior to their opening-round game against Spring Valley in the Sunset Region Tournament on Monday.
“I told them, ‘this is it for you guys,” Hubel said. “‘You either try to do something special (in the playoffs) or you go home.’”
Senior starting pitcher Josh Nuernberg chose to do something special.
Heeding his coach’s call, the right-hander tossed a six-hitter, striking out 11 with no walks, en route to a 3-0 win over the Grizzlies. The Southwest’s top-seeded Spartans won their first postseason game since 2009 and will host Arbor View (30-4) 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Nuernberg, a CSN signee, dominated Spring Valley with an overpowering fastball and an effective breaking ball to limit the Grizzlies (13-15-1) into putting just one runner in scoring position.
“He pitched off his fastball very well,” Hubel said. “He located really well, up and down, in and out. They kept swinging at that high fastball and if they’re going to keep swinging at it, we’re going to keep throwing it.”
While Nuernberg quieted the Grizzlies’ bats, the Spartans chipped away at Spring Valley’s ace, Dylan Drachler.
After reaching on an infield single with one out in the third, Logan Bottrell stole second, reached third on a soft groundout to the shortstop, and scored on a Spring Valley error. The Spartans cushioned the lead in the fifth when Bottrell beat out a force play on a fielder’s choice at second to extend the inning, and Nurenberg followed by lacing a first-pitch fastball back up the middle to push the score to 2-0.
Cimarron added another run in the sixth on Niko Decolati’s solo home run over the left field fence. Decolati went 2-for-3 for the Spartans, and Bottrell was 2-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base.
Logan Mace was 2-for-3 to lead the Grizzlies, who travel to Desert Oasis (18-13) for an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Bonanza 7, Shadow Ridge 4 — At Shadow Ridge, Travis Ming hit a two-run double in the fifth inning to give the Bengals the lead and they held on to top the Northwest League’s No. 1 seed.
Sean DeSoto added a three-run triple in the sixth to extend the Bonanza lead to 6-2.
Brett Doyle and Alec Taft each added two hits for Bonanza (16-14).
Dave Estrada went the distance, allowing three earned runs and striking out 10, to get the win.
Ben Fitzhugh homered for Shadow Ridge (28-4), which hosts Sierra Vista (22-10) in an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Bonanza plays at Bishop Gorman (27-5-1) at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Arbor View 5, Desert Oasis 4 — At Arbor View, Nick Quintana hit a walk-off solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to propel the Aggies past the Diamondbacks.
Arbor View (30-4) came back from a 4-0 deficit, scoring one run in the sixth and three runs in the seventh.
After Nate Stepna delivered an RBI single to score the Aggies’ second run of the game, Kaid Urban reached on an error, and Evan McMahan followed by smacking a two-run double into right-center to send the game into extra innings.
McMahan went 2-for-3 and tossed a complete game, striking out nine with two walks to pick up the win.
Adam Koutz was 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI for Arbor View.
Bishop Gorman 13, Sierra Vista 0 — At Gorman, Cadyn Grenier went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and four RBIs as the Gaels routed the Mountain Lions in five innings.
Michael Blasko was 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI, and Kenny Meimerstorf went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for Gorman. Matt Hudgins and Willie Jumper each went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Gaels.
Jerrel Latham and Matt Judd combined on a three-hitter for Gorman.