As a result of dropping their final two regular season games on April 23, the Bulldog baseball team slipped to No. 17 in the final rankings which means they traveled on April 27 to face No. 16 Valley Christian in the 3A state play-in game. With a win they would advance into the state bracket, with a loss their season will come to a close.
Winslow had a unique situation on April 23. They hosted Show Low in the final regular season game then had to travel to Holbrook to conclude a game with the Roadrunners, which was suspended on Friday due to weather.
In the Show Low contest the Bulldogs let a 3-2 lead vanish in the top of the seventh where the Cougars scored four runs to win the game 6-3.
Ricardo Villanueva pitched five innings allowing just two runs on seven hits, with a pair of strikeouts and walks. Sonny Wilbanks worked two innings giving up four runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Winslow was held to just 5 hits in the loss. Jalen Lyons went 2 for 4 with a double; Daniel Vizcaya was 2 for 4; and AJ Huerta went 1 for 4.
Following that loss the team had to board the bus and head to Holbrook where they picked up Friday’s game in the fifth inning. Trailing 3-0 when the game resumed things didn’t get much better for the Dawgs. Winslow failed to score in the top of the fifth and Holbrook extended their three run lead with five more in the fifth. Three Winslow runs in the top of the sixth wasn’t enough to extend the game, which Holbrook ended under the mercy rule with five more in the 6th to win the game 13-3.
Winslow had just three hits in the extended game two by Mason Scott who went 2 for 3; and Solomon Setalla was 1 for 3.
Jacob Guerrero worked 4.1 innings giving up eight runs on hits with four strikeouts and walked three. Setalla pitched one inning allowing five runs on four hits with two strikeouts and walked one.
If Winslow can get past a tough Valley Christian team on April 27 they wouldn’t play in the first round of the state tournament until May 4.
