NBC 11 Sports: Several local teams drop crushing games, Shamrocks keep shining on both diamonds
YUMA, Ariz., (KYMA, KECY) - As the postseason push keeps heating up in the second to last week, Friday became a turning point for several local teams.
Some moments were good, while others were not so much.
On Yuma's north side, Yuma Criminals baseball had themselves set up to have a big week and take control of the 4A Skyline Region and earn a state playoff bid - but after a crushing one-run loss to Greenway earlier in the week, the Crims could not bounce back in a crucial game Friday.
The Crims lost 11-0 to Thunderbird, all the likely putting an end to their run at the postseason with only four games to go.
But coach Nick Johnson still credits his team for the continued effort day in and out.
"It's baseball, man. You're going to win games and you're going to lose games and that's just the game. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't," said Johnson. "That's what we preach over and over that as long as you show up and you have effort, and put forth everything you have, I tip my cap to them any day of the week, no matter what the score is."
At the diamond at Cibola, the Lady Raiders had themselves one of their toughest tests of the year - welcoming in the Perry Pumas, ranked No. 5 in all of 6A. In a game where the Raiders were hoping to help their case with a better ranking, the bats did not come out.
Perry's Alexa Ortiz tossed a no-hitter through five innings and the Raiders fell 10-0.
Things were a little better over at Yuma Catholic on both the baseball and softball fields with Wickenburg in town.
The Lady Shamrocks took control from the beginning, pouring on eight runs in the second inning and then riding the wave of Cherish Trujillo in the circle. The sophomore would sit down 11 Wranglers for strikeouts en route to the 12-2 win.
On the baseball side, the Rocks were deadlocked in a 5-5 game heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before ripping off six runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Mickey Fox got the win on the mound, striking out eight and adding to his 3A-leading total. Then Ivan Guzman closed out the final two innings on top of a 4-4 day at the plate in the 13-5 win.
Both Shamrocks squads enter the final week of the season ranked in the top five of 3A.
Lastly, heartbreak coming from the road where the Antelope Lady Rams held a three-run lead into the bottom of the seventh at Anthem Prep before falling in extra innings.
Costly errors kept the Eagles alive and ended the Rams' nine-game win streak.
