Galena stays alive at 4A state baseball

HENDERSON - The showdown is set after all.

Galena High and Bishop Gorman are considered to be Nevada's two best teams and they will face each other today for the NIAA 4A State Championship, although the Grizzlies must beat the Gaels twice.

The championship round begins at 10 a.m. and if Galena wins, another game will immediately follow for the title. Galena set up the showdown by beating Green Valley 9-3 and Arbor View 8-1 behind the pitching of Eric Maupin and Jacob Anderson, and J.D. Peters' three home runs.

Galena coach Gary McNamara said he was undecided who would start this morning, but added everyone will be available. Maupin and Anderson should be available though for just limited action as Maupin threw well over 100 pitches against Green Valley and Anderson pitched a complete game against Arbor View.

But it could be worse for Galena. Matt Evans threw just four innings, Tony Thompson pitched just three innings in Thursday's 6-2 loss to Gorman and Levi Stafford has pitched just one inning.

"They all want to go," McNamara said.

Somebody who wasn't ready to go was Peters, Galena's leadoff hitter, who did misplay two popups at second base.

"I think he was a little upset about a couple of popups he dropped," McNamara said. "He more than made up for them. Good quality at-bats from our leadoff guy. He's been doing this all year."

Peters led off the first inning against Arbor View with his third home run. "I had a good day," said Peters in an understatement. "I did not want it to end. I figured I'd do anything I could."

After Peters' homer, Thompson and Maupin both singled, a run scored on Basim Azzam's RBI groundout and Jake Hess singled home another run to make it 3-0.

Evans walked and Jim Sargent reached on a bunt single before an error gave Galena a run and a 4-1 lead in the second. In the fourth, Evans walked, Peters doubled and a run scored on an error to make it 5-1.

In the fifth, Pete Lazzari was hit by a pitch, Thompson singled and Maupin followed with a two-run single. Hess hit an RBI single to make it 8-1.

Anderson struck out eight and finished the game by striking out the side in the seventh. Peters had three hits, giving him six hits on the day, Maupin also had three hits, including a double and Anderson added a hit.

"They're a good team," said Peters about Gorman, who also beat Galena 5-3 in the first round at state last year. "We feel like we've got a good chance. They got us last year, too. We definitely wanted another shot at the Gaels."

GALENA 9, GREEN VALLEY 3

Maupin allowed one unearned run over six innings, allowing four hits. Jake Hess gave Galena a 1-0 lead in the second when he homered.

In the third, Peters hit a solo shot and Lazzari followed with a double. Maupin then hit an RBI single to make it 3-0. In the fourth, after Evans singled, Peters hit a two-run shot to make it 5-0.

In the sixth, Evans singled and Jim Sargent followed with a sacrifice bunt. After Peters was intentionally walked, Thompson lined a shot off the third baseman's glove. After Thompson reached on an infield single, the throw got a away and a run scored to make it 6-1.

Maupin pitched through trouble in the sixth after an error and his throwing error on a pickoff attempt and a dropped popup lost in the high sky gave the Gators runners and first and third with no outs. Maupin got a shallow flyball for the first out.

He then walked the next batter to load the bases. But then Lazzari at shortstop was able to turn an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play with Peters' throw to first completing the double play.

In the seventh, after an error, Max Landis singled and Evans followed with an RBI single. The ball rolled under the centerfielder's glove and almost rolled all the way to the fence, scoring three runs, with Evans scoring the final run to make it 9-1.

Peters and Evans each had three hits, Lazzari and Hess each had two hits and Cory Metoyer added a hit.

DAYTON ELIMINATED

The Dust Devils were eliminated from the NIAA 3A State event after losing to Faith Lutheran 13-3 and Pahrump Valley 17-11.

Against Faith Lutheran, Joe Delaski started and received some help from his defense in the first. Ryan Sheperd made a nice pick at third and threw to first to retire the leadoff batter.

With a runner at first and one out, Dylan Young singled and tried to advance to second on the play. But shortstop Tom O'Brien took centerfielder Brandon Aguilera's throw and threw to Rory Torvik at second to nail Young.

Tyler Iodence, though, followed with a two-run double as the Crusaders went on to take a 3-0 lead. Faith Lutheran used a dropped flyball that allowed two runs to score to take a 6-0 lead in the second. But O'Brien ended the inning with another fine play when he stopped a ball up the middle and flipped to Torvik at second for the force.

Dayton began to mount a comeback in the fourth down 7-0. Tim Doyle doubled and O'Brien followed with an RBI double. After Delaski walked, Shepherd hit a two-run single to make it 7-3.

But another run scored on an error in the bottom of the fourth and Delaski was pulled from the game. The Crusaders added another run in the fourth and four more runs in the fifth to take a 13-3 lead and end the game.

O'Brien had two hits and Torvik added a hit for Dayton.

Notes: The Faith Lutheran students were at it again. After a not-so-classy display in the NIAA 3A State boys basketball finals in which the Crusaders beat Dayton, they were ready again, but evidently told to behave themselves.

As Doyle led off the game, one student yelled out "Mini-me" in reference to Doyle's size. But that would be it as another student told him, "No fun allowed, remember."

Grizzlies win twice to earn shot at Bishop Gorman in finals