Can You Say ‘Region Champs?’

By Billy Lowry
Posted Friday, May 6, 2005

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If you are the Horizon Huskies baseball team, you have to be getting sick of Brophy winning with late inning heroics. We all remember Chris Highmark’s bottom of the 7th blast to take control of the regular season standings. But this was a new week.

Brophy versus Horizon. Best 2 out of 3 series. Winner gets top spot for the state tournament and the title of Desert Valley Region Champion.

Horizon felt strong going into the series. They had already lost a 7th inning heartbreak. Now it was their turn for revenge. It was their time to shine. Too bad for them the Broncos had other plans.

Game 1: After scoring a run in the 1st inning, Brophy found themselves down 2-1 going into the bottom of the 7th. Horizon had one thing on their mind: get 3 outs and prevent history from repeating itself. I think you can guess what happened from there. The Broncos trampled Horizon pitcher Kevin Rhoderick, scored 2 runs and won the game 3-2, and needed only one more victory to seal the region.

Game 2: Horizon came out looking like a team that refused to get beat in the bottom of the 7th again. In fact, the game didn’t even make it to the 7th inning. The Huskies bashed Brophy ace Chris Highmark 10-0 in 5 innings, setting up last nights final showdown for the #1 seed in the state tournament.

Game 3: Things were not looking too bright for the Broncos once again. Through 5 and a half innings, they found themselves down 9-2, still searching for the spark to get their motor running. They certainly found it in freshman Riccio Torrez. Riccio hit 3-for-4 on the night, and lead the Broncos in a 5-run 6th inning. But they still trailed 9-7 going into the last inning. And tonight they could not pull out the victory in the bottom of the 7th. But they did tie the game, sending it to extra innings. After a scoreless 8th, Horizon jumped out of the gate in the 9th. They scored one run to take the lead. But the Broncos answered back, matching the run to send the game into the 10th. Junior pitcher Mark Appel blanked the Huskies in the top half of the inning, and what happened from there is very simple. Paul Crowder… going, going, gone.

The Broncos won the game and the series with Crowder’s walk off home run. With that they enter next week’s state tournament with the top-seed, and the fire they need to bring home Brophy’s first baseball state title. Good luck Broncos!