Yuma Catholic baseball headed back to the state title game

The Shamrocks finish off Pusch Ridge and book their tickets to the state title game.

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Leonel Avelar struck out 11 batters to lead the Yuma Catholic Shamrocks to a 12-0 victory by mercy rule over the Pusch Ridge Lions in Game 2 of the AIA 3A State Semifinals at American Family Fields of Phoenix.

No. 2 Yuma Catholic takes the series 2-0 and advances to the state championship game for the second straight season. No. 14 Pusch Ridge is eliminated from the postseason.

"We've accomplished a lot of things as a team that we set goals for," Shamrock head coach Judd Thrower said. "Making it to that state championship and letting these boys experience what it's like at the top of that mountain 2 years in a row, for our program this is becoming the standard."

In the second inning, Ivan Guzman hit a leadoff double and would later score on a fielder's choice to give YC the 1-0 lead. In the third inning, Joey Carey's RBI single would double their lead. YC would score two more runs in the innning and three runs in the third to take a seven run lead. Then in the fifth, the Shamrocks would pile on five more runs to take the game 12-0 by mercy rule.

For the Shamrocks, Avelar pitched all five innings and had the 11 strikeouts, while only surrendering one hit.

Yuma Catholic will now face No. 1 Valley Christian in the state championship, a rematch of last year championship game. Valley Christian won the game 11-1.

"[This win] feels good, but we all know what happened last year," Avelar said. "We're coming for [Valley Christian]. We want that game." 

The 3A State Championship Game is set for Monday at 4pm at Tempe Diablo Stadium.