SUNSET REGION: Gorman completes comeback

Bishop Gorman’s baseball team didn’t take the easiest path. But after beating Arbor View twice Saturday, the Gaels earned the right to defend their Class 4A state championship.

Gorman, which lost 9-8 at Arbor View on Wednesday, beat the Aggies 2-1 in eight innings and 12-2 in six innings at Centennial to claim the Sunset Region title.

The Gaels (36-3) had to win five games in three days to come back through the losers’ bracket.

“They showed a lot of guts,” Gorman coach Nick Day said. “We were tested all the way through. We took the loss against Arbor View, Spring Valley came out and played us in a real tight game and Centennial played us in a real tight game.

“The first game today could have gone either way. Really, we got some fortunate breaks the last couple days, but our guys really persevered and showed a lot of guts.”

Gorman starter Cody Roper and Arbor View’s Evan McMahan locked up in a pitcher’s duel in the first game Saturday. Roper hit a solo homer in the fifth to give the Gaels a 1-0 lead, and Arbor View’s Tyler LeBaron tied it with a solo shot in the sixth.

That was all either pitcher would give up until the eighth when McMahan issued back-to-back walks with one out. After a fly out, Jerrel Latham delivered a two-out single to right-center to score Joey Gallo with the go-ahead run.

Roper issued a two-out walk in the bottom half and was replaced by Gallo, who struck out Ryan Chen with the tying run at second to end the game.

Roper allowed four hits in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked two.

“He was phenomenal,” Day said. “That’s the best he’s been all year. And not just on the mound, he hit a big home run for us. He really carried us through that first game. Then we were finally able to get some stuff going at the end of (the second) game.”

McMahan also did an outstanding job, allowing seven hits in eight innings. He struck out five and walked two, both in the eighth. Both Roper and McMahan had started games on Tuesday.

“McMahan for us threw with everything you possibly can with short rest,” Arbor View coach Chris Martinez said. “Like we always tell our starters, he gave us a chance to win.”

Arbor View (32-6) turned to another pitcher on short rest, Zach Quintana, in the second game.

Quintana, who threw 129 pitches in a complete-game win over Gorman on Wednesday, ran out of gas in the fourth, walking three batters, including one with the bases loaded.

The Gaels took advantage, plating five runs in the inning to take a 7-2 lead.

Gallo’s two-run blast to center highlighted a three-run fifth for Gorman, and the Gaels got RBI singles by Roper and Tyler Baker in the sixth to end the game by the 10-run rule.

“It seemed a little bit more relaxed,” Roper said of the second game. “I feel like we had momentum after the big win in the first game.”

The region title gives the Gaels a chance to try to continue their state championship streak. Gorman has won the last six 4A state titles.

“This is a special group, a lot of seniors and a lot of good players who have been through a lot in their career here,” Day said. “It’s going to be special for them to try to get that last state championship before they graduate.”

LeBaron and Jordan Godman each had a solo home run in the second game for Arbor View.

“My hat’s off to Arbor View,” Day said. “They really battled us and really tested us and I was really impressed.