Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal Galena's shortstop Pete Lazzari tries to come up with a blooper into shallow left field in the second inning of Thursday's game against Bishop Gorman. Ryan Howsley, center, and James Peters were also in on the play.
RENO - Baseball is a lot like chess in that a good endgame can erase some good opening moves and a pretty good middle game.
Such was the case Friday at Peccole Park as the Bishop Gorman Gaels took advantage of some late miscues by the Galena Grizzlies to take a 5-3 victory in the opening round of the Class 4A state championships.
With the game tied, 3-3, headed into the bottom of the sixth inning, Gaels first baseman Jeff Malm singled off Galena starter Tony Thompson to start the frame. Gorman shortstop David Fry dropped down a first-pitch sacrifice bunt but Grizzlies catcher Basim Azzam overthrew first baseman Eric Maupin to put runners on second and third with no outs.
Gaels right fielder Brandon Garcia culminated a big day 3-for-3, with 4 RBI day by drilling a single past second for the 5-3 lead and eventual final score.
Earlier in the day Sunrise Region champion Silverado had a seven-run fifth inning and went on to a 10-1 win over McQueen, which will face Galena in the losers' bracket game today at noon at Peccole Park.
The Skyhawks, now 32-3-1, will face the Gaels, 33-7-1, in the winners' bracket match beginning at 3 p.m. It will be the first meeting this season between Silverado and Gorman - which was the Sunset Region champion. The loser of that game will take on the survivor of the Galena-McQueen contest at 6.
The Grizzlies struck first and took a 2-0 lead, beginning with a Thompson RBI-single in the first and a solo home run by Maupin to the lead off the fourth. Maupin's rocket to left center was estimated at 400 feet.
But fortune was blowing the Gaels' way in the bottom of the fourth and Gorman took a 3-2 lead. Corey Roveri and Jeff Malm - who finished 2-for-3, with 2 runs - tagged Thompson for back-to-back singles.
Left fielder David Fry hit a sacrifice fly and Garcia drilled a moon shot over the tall center-field wall for the lead. Fry's shot went an estimated 420 feet.
Galena second baseman J.D. Peters drove in Pete Lazzari - who led off the top of the fifth with a triple - to tie the game, but Galena could not go ahead the rest of the way.
"We had to huge hits - that two-run homer to center and that two-run single to take the lead," said third-year Gorman coach Chris Sheff, whose team banged out seven hits. "More important, we were able to execute with sacrifices and get base hits."
Sheff also credited sophomore pitcher Donn Roach, who went the distance, allowing seven hits and three earned runs. Roach hit one batter, but walked none and struck out seven.
"Donny's the kind of kid whose M.O. is that he's a slow starter in the first and second innings, but if he can get through the first inning he'll settle down," Sheff said. "He's kind of a slow starter...(but) he'll settle down and get strikes."
Roach allowed two hits in the first but faced only six batters over the following two innings before giving up the solo shot to Maupin in the fourth.
Thompson went the distance as well, striking out six and also walking no batters. He allowed five runs (four earned).
Thompson and Peters each went 2-for-3 with an RBI, for Galena, now 27-8. Maupin went 1-for-2, with the homer.
"We got off to a good start," said Galena coach Gary McNamara. "We got a couple of early runs. We had the opportunity and should've extended the lead a little. If Tony's pitching with a three-, four-, five-run lead, it would be better to his advantage.
"But we let them hang around, let them get a three-spot in the fourth. Offensively we should've done a little more early in the game."
McNamara said Thompson got off to a great start and was able to locate his pitches well, but began to get behind in the count.
"Then there was an error and a three-run homer (actually a two-run homer)," McNamara said. "There's not much you can do about it. That's baseball. (Azzam) didn't make many mistakes (this season). He made one. So be it. We didn't overcome it. We had plenty of opportunities. It wasn't one performance or one player. We need to move on really quick."
McNamara said he would start Jacob Anderson today against McQueen, which is now 34-5. The Lancers won all three High Desert League meetings with the Grizzlies, but Galena has won the last two, including a 6-5 win last week for the Northern 4A Region title.
"Last week we lost a game (against Douglas) in zone. That might be good preparation," McNamara said of his team's ability to bounce back from adversity. "We're not going to worry about an error or who did what. We're going to have a good time on the bus and get ready to play.
"We've got to focus on the challenge. This tournament happens too fast. I'm not worried about having pitching (to play a possible four more games). We have enough guys to get it done."
Of the four teams, only Silverado has won a state championship. The Skyhawks turned the trick back in 2000.