Cibola loses to frenetic Skyline

Coyotes bring extreme version of small-ball to Yuma; errors derail Raiders’ chance to win

Cibola at Yuma High, 3:30 p.m. San Luis at Kofa, 3:30 p.m. Yuma Catholic at Antelope, 4 p.m.

Yuma High at Cibola, 3:30 p.m. San Luis at Kofa, 3:30 p.m. Yuma Catholic at Antelope, 4 p.m.

It would have been met with applause from Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia, a champion of small-ball, and with exasperation from Oakland A’s vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane, the central character of the sabermetric- unearthing book, “Moneyball.”

No matter where one stands in the old-schoolversus-new-school debate, the Skyline baseball team’s trip from Mesa to Yuma sure made for an entertaining show.

The Coyotes were busy during every at-bat in Tuesday’s game at Cibola — bunting, hit-and-running and stealing bases with abandon. Once the gameending double play capped the afternoon affair, it was not Skyline’s strategy that

4-2 AIA 3-3 AIA

defeated the Raiders by a score of 5-2 — though it may deserve partial credit.

Cibola (3-3 AIA) committed five errors, two of which were on pickoff throws, a likely result of Skyline’s potential to steal a base on any pitch. Of the five runs allowed between sophomore Martin Franco and senior Jaime Ponce, only one was earned.

“That’s a good team over there,” Cibola coach Larsen

Buy these photos at YumaSun.com PHOTOS BY RANDY HOEFT/ YUMA SUN MESA-SKYLINE’S COLE YOCUM (RIGHT) SLIDES SAFELY Tuesday afternoon’s game at Cibola. into second base, beating the throw to Cibola shortstop David Cuadros in the top of the second inning of

CIBOLA CATCHER GILDARDO HERNANDEZ (CENTER) and Mesa-Skyline’s Cole Yocum both look to the home plate umpire for the call after Yocum tried to score on a hit to left field in the top of the third inning of Thursday afternoon’s game at Cibola. Raiders...

Skyline 5 Cibola 2