SUNSET REGION: Confident Aggies bash Durango, advance to title game

P.J. Gonzalez had a good feeling after he watched Arbor View teammate Evan McMahan hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning Thursday.

“It just takes that spark and we get going,” Gonzalez said.

Three batters after McMahan gave the Aggies a 10-4 lead with one swing, Ryan Chen, Gonzalez and Nate Stepna hit consecutive homers to left field. Arbor View rode the six-run third inning to a 16-6, five-inning rout of Durango in the Sunset Region winner’s bracket final at Centennial.

“That just kind of put us over the top right there,” Arbor View coach Chris Martinez said. “Just an amazing job by our 5-6-7 hitters getting the ball up, zone hitting and hitting the ball out of the yard.”

Arbor View (32-4) advanced to the region final at 1 p.m. Saturday at Centennial. The Aggies could play Durango (17-19), Centennial (24-10-1) or Bishop Gorman (32-3) in the final, and would have to lose twice to not win their first region title.

“It’s exciting for the school. It’s exciting for these 18 kids,” Martinez said. “This has been their goal since day one. We’ve just got to refocus, go back to work, and go get one Saturday one way or another.”

Gonzalez said the Aggies were confident coming off a 9-8 win over Gorman on Wednesday. It showed, as Arbor View pounded four Durango pitchers for 15 hits.

Chen’s two-run blast in the third was followed by homers from Gonzalez and Stepna to give the Aggies a 14-4 lead.

Arbor View leadoff hitter Jordan Godman went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and a stolen base. His RBI double plated pinch runner Joey Comish to end the game in the bottom of the fifth.

“(Godman) has seen the ball so extremely well all year,” Martinez said. “He struggled a little bit as a junior, but it just showed how hard he’s worked in the offseason to get to where he’s at.”

McMahan was 3-for-4 with a double and three runs for Arbor View, and Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with a triple, three runs and four RBIs. Zach Quintana and Stepna each added two hits.

“We have nine confident guys whoever we put in the lineup,” Martinez said.

Durango’s Jacob Dismont went 3-for-3 with five RBIs, including a two-run double to left field in the third.

Bobby Wright went 3-for-3 with a walk and scored three runs for Durango, which will play either Centennial or Gorman in an elimination game at 4 p.m. Friday at Centennial.

Centennial 3, Sierra Vista 2 — Pinch runner Trent Kennedy scored on a throwing error in the top of the sixth to break a 2-2 tie and help the Bulldogs eliminate the Mountain Lions (23-12).

Bryan Bonnell pitched a four-hitter with one walk and eight strikeouts for Centennial, which will host Gorman in an elimination game at 1 p.m. Friday.

"Bryan's clutched up a few times for us this year, and he did exactly what we expected," Bulldogs coach Charles Cerrone said. "He gave us a chance, and we held on and won."

Michael Yenkowski was 2-for-3 for Centennial, including a single to center to lead off the top of the sixth before being replaced by Kennedy.

Keith Krueger went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for Centennial, and Jonas Wellan had an RBI double and scored a run.

Daniel Gonzales and Tyler Burdett had RBI singles in the fourth inning for Sierra Vista.

Bishop Gorman 5, Spring Valley 2 — Jerrel Latham and Cody Roper hit back-to-back homers in the fourth to help the Gaels oust the Grizzlies (22-10-1).

Latham’s two-run blast to right-center field was followed by Roper’s shot to left to give the Gaels a 4-0 lead. Latham went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

Drew LaComb was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles for Spring Valley, which scored on a wild pitch in the sixth and an error in the seventh. Robby Brewster went 2-for-3 with a double, and Cody Smith was 2-for-3 for the Grizzlies.