Shamrocks make light work of Tanque Verde to advance to 3A semifinals

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - Yuma Catholic kept its postseason run alive with a 10-2 victory over the Tanque Verde Eagles in a matchup with a trip to the 3A state semifinals on the line.

Tanque Verde struck first in the top of the opening inning, but Yuma Catholic limited the damage thanks to a heads-up defensive play from catcher Daniel Ruiz and pitcher Hiram Silva. With the Eagles' Rocco Haggard racing home on a pitch that slipped past Ruiz, Silva hustled to cover home as Ruiz raced to recover the ball and flip it to the pitcher to apply the tag for the out. The play would end the inning and prevent another run from scoring.

The Shamrocks responded at the plate as Grayson Morris delivered a key hit with runners in scoring position. Morris drove a shot deep into left-center field that sailed over the outfielder’s head, allowing two runners to score easily while he cruised into second base that extended the lead to 3-1 and sparked Yuma Catholic’s momentum.

Silva later helped his own cause offensively with a powerful drive to dead center field that bounced all the way to the fence. Erik Topete crossed home plate from third base, and Jose Alatorre scored all the way from first as Silva’s extra-base hit helped Yuma Catholic build a comfortable advantage in the third inning.

Tanque Verde continued to battle and managed to cut into the deficit when a ball sent into center field allowed Corbin Lyski to score. Max Williams fielded the ball on a bounce and fired a throw toward home, but the Eagles plated the run to make it a 5-2 game.

Yuma Catholic quickly answered again. James Mayorga lined a ground ball past the first baseman, and the ball rolled beyond the outfielder, allowing Ryan Ashcraft to score easily. Mayorga hustled all the way to third base on the play, extending the Shamrocks’ lead to 6-2.

Yuma Catholic added four more runs to put the game out of reach and secure the 10-2 win on their home field. With the victory, the Shamrocks advance to the 3A state semifinals, where they will face Northwest Christian on Tuesday at Tempe Diablo Stadium.