Quick Hitters
Mats split with GateWay
The Arizona Western baseball team split a doubleheader at home against GateWay on Friday, winning the first game 9-0 and losing the second 4-2.
In the 9-0 win, AWC’s Chris Koeiman and Damien Hernandez combined for a seven-inning shutout of the Geckos (4-7 overall). Koeiman pitched four innings, while Hernandez went three; both allowed just two hits each.
Offensively for the Matadors in game one, Justin Greene went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, Sam Hackl went 2-for-3 with one RBI, Zach Huffins went 2-for-2 and Carlos Arellano went 2-for-4.
In the 4-2 loss, AWC (8-2 overall) was limited to just two hits, spoiling a solid start on the mound from Gabriel Ponce. In seven innings of work, Ponce allowed just three hits and one run (unearned) while striking out nine.
YC girls fall in region tourney title game
The Yuma Catholic girls basketball team lost 34-31 to Paradise Honors in the 3A Metro West region tournament championship game Friday.
Taylor Walton had 14 points, four rebounds and three assists for the Shamrocks, while Kylie Mccloud added nine points.
Star guard Veronica Saco did not play in the game.
A repeat wouldn’t be in the works for the Yuma High wrestling team, but the Criminals will at least leave town with some hardware.
Yuma High finished in second place Friday night at the Division III state tournament in Prescott Valley, but two wrestlers were able to win individual state titles for themselves and a couple of late pins helped the team leave as runner-ups.
Senior Jacob Sanchez and sophomore Jayden Dobson won individual state titles to push their team. Walden Grove won at 185.5 points, while Yuma High was a ways behind at 141.5 for second. Third place went to Chino Valley (121.5) and fourth went to Show Low (121). A slow start put Yuma too far behind Walden Grove after Thursday, but the team came back strong Friday. “It’s not what we’re looking for, but we’re still happy with where we are at,” Yuma High coach Jeff Welsing said. Show Low was neck-and-neck with the Criminals late in the day, but back-to-back pins in title matches helped propel Yuma forward.
The first pin came from Sanchez (62-2) over the No. 2 seed, Lewis Everett of Mesquite in the 182-pound title match.
“It feels amazing. It’s the best day of my life,” Sanchez said just moments after winning his championship.
Sanchez finished third last season at state, which helped the team win a state title, but left him without a trophy of his own.
He came back this season and led the Criminals in wins.
“Jacob, when he was on varsity as a freshman we used to call him Wild Jacob, because he would just fly,” Welsing said. “He is always looking to score. In the finals he pinned a kid with a move I’ve never seen before in my life, with a reverse cradle. That kid works so hard. He’s dealt with injuries and adversity, and he just never stops.”
In Dobson’s 195-pound title match, he trailed Show Low’s Roper Howard 4-0. A pin for Show Low would have put the team nearly even in points.
Dobson (43-3 overall) relaxed a