Basic outlasts Rancho, wins 2-1 in extra innings
If Monday’s game was a preview of what’s to come in next week’s Sunrise Region playoffs, Las Vegas baseball fans are in for a treat.
Basic and Rancho took their duel into the ninth inning, each starter going into the seventh and both relievers dealing. But a bases-loaded walk with a full count and two outs was the difference as Garrett Giles trotted to first base, his Basic team 2-1 winners at home.
“It’s a super good feeling to win finally after playing a long, hard game with a really great team,” winning pitcher C.J. Dornak said. “It feels great to overcome it.”
It became clear early in Monday’s game by whichever pitching staff ran out of gas first. Basic (25-5, 15-4 Sunrise League) loaded the bases in the sixth and seventh innings, but the Rams (24-5, 16-3) held strong until the ninth. It was there Nick Thompson drew a one-out walk and with two outs and the bases loaded, Giles watched 3-2 pitch miss the outside corner by a hair.
It was was redemption for Giles, who flew out with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh.
“I was just trying to get a hit so we could win the game,” Giles said. “I’ve been struggling a little bit offensively, and I just wanted to win.”
Aside from being a rally-starter, Thompson was lights-out on the mound. He lasted 6⅓ innings and struck out seven while holding the Rams to one run on four hits. Dornak relieved him, and made seven of the game’s last eight outs by strikeout.
For the pair to do that against Rancho, which entered the game with a .434 team batting average, was more than coach Scott Baker could have asked for.
“Extra innings wasn’t the plan, but both sides pitched very well,” Baker said. “Fourteen (strikeouts) is incredible against an offense like that.”
On the other side, Rams pitcher Layton Walls went 6⅔ innings, allowing one run on six hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Carlos Hernandez entered in the seventh and allowed one hit and three walks. He struck out three.
Basic scored its first run on Dominik Tavares’ single to score Jesse Fonteboa in the second.
Anthony Guzman’s one-out triple in the fourth inning was Rancho’s first hit, and he scored on Joey Walls’ triple.
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Contact Justin Emerson at jeme