SUNSET REGION: Sierra Vista edges Bonanza, advances to Sunset Region title game

A rash of late-season injuries has forced Sierra Vista to change its approach to winning baseball games.

The new formula was on display in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday as four straight Mountain Lions reached base, culminating in an RBI single by ninth-place hitter Armando Perez, to send host Sierra Vista to the Sunset Region title game with a 5-4 win over Bonanza.

The Mountain Lions (28-7) will have to beat Bishop Gorman twice today to win the title. The first game will be played at 10 a.m. at Centennial.

After Blair Goldsack reached on an error, Connor Klein singled and Dusty Stevens beat out a well-placed bunt for another single.

That set the stage for Perez, who lined a single to right just in front of Bonanza’s Sterling Sprau, enabling Goldsack to score the winning run.

“I just thought be short and quick to the ball. Get a hit somewhere,” the junior said. “I didn’t want to put it on the ground in the infield, just get it to the outfield.”

Sierra Vista coach Nate Selby said he was pleased with his team’s ability to manufacture runs despite managing just one extra base hit in the game.

“It hasn’t really been our MO the whole year, but it’s been our talk the last couple days,” he said. “Trying to find a way to do it with what you’ve got.

“We’ve had some injuries, but guys have to come in and do jobs, so that’s kind of been what we’ve been hoping is to be scrappy and find a way to do with what we have.”

After a rough start, Sierra Vista also got great pitching.

Goldsack was called upon after a bad-hop single, an error and three walks by starter Tyler Condie put the Mountain Lions down 2-0 with one out and the bases still loaded in the top of the first.

The Bengals (19-14) added a run on another error, but Goldsack got out of the jam and allowed just one hit and one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings to settle things down for Sierra Vista.

“Just like every other situation. It was just normal for me,” the team’s usual closer said. “I was ready to go in there and throw strikes and just win.”

The one hit he allowed proved to be costly, however, as Anthony Risucci hit a two-out line drive into right-center to tie the game with two outs in the seventh inning.

The run came after Sierra Vista had scored twice on just one hit in the bottom of the sixth to take its first lead of the game.

Sierra Vista ace Nick Kingham struck out five and didn’t allow a hit in the two extra innings to earn the victory.

The Mountain Lions had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh, but Sprau picked up his second outfield assist of the game by firing a strike to first baseman Hunter Davidson, who relayed a strike home to throw out Stevens after a double by Perez.

“I tip my hat to them. I think it was just a great baseball game all the way around,” Bonanza coach Derek Stafford said. “We found a way to tie it, and they just found a way to get one across.

“You can’t ask for any more from those kids. They left it all on the field.”

Kris Bryant struggled at the plate, striking out three times to go with two intentional walks, but allowed just four hits and two earned runs in six innings for the Bengals.

Bonanza 16, Legacy 5 — Heriberto Orozco drove in three runs, and Bryant and Rizucci each scored three times as the Bengals advanced in the first game of the day at Sierra Vista.

The Longhorns (23-10) grabbed an early 3-0 lead, but Bonanza answered with six runs in the third inning to take the lead for good.

Dominic Jeppi was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and worked three hitless innings on the mound to close the game.