Rallying for four runs across the game's final three innings, the No. 14-seeded Flagstaff Eagles knocked off the No. 11 Deer Valley Skyhawks, 5-4, on Monday evening in Glendale.
The victory sent Flagstaff to the winner's bracket third round of the 4A Conference state tournament, just one more win away from reaching the semifinals. Now winners of eight of their past nine games since April 12, the Eagles were set to meet the 10th-seeded Saguaro Sabercats at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Wednesday at 4 p.m., the third regular-season rematch in as many rounds.
The Sabercats handed the Eagles a 1-0 extra-inning loss on March 4 in Scottsdale.
After defeating the Skyhawks 4-2 on the road back on March 26, the Eagles opened Monday's game with a lone run in the first inning. However, Deer Valley answered with two runs in the second inning and two more in the fifth. Facing a 4-1 deficit with possibly just six outs remaining, Flagstaff scored one in the sixth and two more in the seventh thanks to a two-run single by Christian Welker.
Knotted up at 4-all after seven innings, Flagstaff's offense gave its pitching staff a shot at the win in the eighth thanks to an RBI triple by Brody Johnson. After聽retiring one batter in the eighth, Eagles starter Will Carpenter reached his maximum pitch count and Tobyn Phillips recorded the two final outs of the game to earn the 5-4 win.
Phillips, Welker, Johnson, Jace Adams and Cullen Callander all recorded two hits in the game for the Eagles. Callander, who also drew a walk, scored twice, while Welker's two RBIs led the team. Carpenter struck out five while walking two in his 7 1/3 innings on the mound, and Phillips struck out one of the two batters he faced to end the game.
In order to set up the meeting with Deer Valley in the second round, Flagstaff first knocked off the No. 3-seeded Prescott Badgers on Saturday morning. After splitting the two regular-season meetings with their Grand Canyon Region rival in mid-April, Flagstaff also rallied late for a comeback victory in Prescott.
Flagstaff held a 3-0 lead after three innings, but Prescott rallied for four in the fourth and one in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead.
The Eagles countered with a four-run sixth, then held on for the win after Prescott scored one run in the seventh to cut it to 7-6. Phillips caught a fly ball in right field and threw out the potential tying run at the plate as Callander applied the tag to end the game on the double play.
Adams finished 4 for 4 at the plate with four RBIs, Carpenter went 2 for 4 with two walks and three runs scored, Welker finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Connor Iniguez had three strikeouts and six walks in 6 1/3 innings before reaching his maximum pitch count.
Adams finished the game on the mound, with both outs coming on the game-ending double play.