Yuma stays red-hot, wins seventh straight while Somerton drops third straight

The Criminals took care of business against the Toros with a nine-run offensive outing

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - The Yuma Criminals stayed red-hot Tuesday night, extending their winning streak to seven games with a 9-2 victory over the Somerton Toros at Curley Culp Memorial Stadium.

Yuma entered the matchup riding a six-game win streak, while Somerton came in looking to snap a two-game skid. Instead, the Criminals controlled the game late to pull away.

In the bottom of the sixth inning with Yuma leading 6-1, Ethan Schmidgall sparked the offense with a standup double, sending a ball over the left fielder’s head to open the frame.

Somerton responded defensively a few batters later. Frankie Castillo forced a ground ball to Junior Aguilar, who fired home to Santiago Victoria for the out, helping the Toros limit further damage.

However, Yuma kept the pressure on. With runners in scoring position, Roman Jacobo delivered an opposite-field hit that dropped in front of the right fielder, driving in a run to extend the lead to 7-1.

The Criminals added two more runs in the inning and closed out the game in the top of the seventh. Somerton managed one run in the inning, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback.

With the win, Yuma improved to 13-7-2 on the season, while Somerton fell to 6-12.

After the game, Yuma head coach Nick Johnson credited his team’s success to consistent effort throughout the year.

“It comes from the work they put in,” Johnson said. “It’s a day-in, day-out, year-round commitment. Even when we’re struggling in the fall and winter, they understand the payoff, and it’s starting to show. We still have work to do, but it’s showing.”

Yuma returns to action Thursday at home against Cortez Colts in a region matchup.

Meanwhile, Somerton will look to bounce back Friday in a key region game at Kingman, with playoff implications on the line.