The Holbrook Roadrunners won their first ever 3A North Region baseball title on Saturday with 5-4 victory over Window Rock in the championship game.
The Birds earned the trip to the finals with their second win of the season over Winslow, defeating the Bulldogs 16-9 in semifinal action on Friday afternoon.
Playing that game in Winslow, the Birds took a commanding lead, scoring 14 runs through the first four innings, and they were never really threatened again.
Ilacian Johnson gave Holbrook a strong performance on the hill with five innings of work. He faced 28 batters and allowed four runs, all earned, on five hits with 12 strikeouts and a pair of walks. Seneca Murphy pitched just one-third of an inning, giving up three runs on one hit with three walks. Caleb Layden worked 12/3 innings, allowing no runs with a strikeout and two walks.
At the plate, Dylan Barela went two for four with a home run, a double, scored twice and had seven RBIs. Blake Maestas was one for two with an RBI and scored three runs. Jesse Spangler went three for four with a double, stole one base, had one RBI and scored three runs. Layden was two for four with three RBIs and a stolen base. Levi Reyes went one for five with a stolen base and scored twice. Austin Lozano was two for four. Ryan Baldonado went four for five and scored a run. Joey Aguilera was one for three with two runs scored. Robert Jaquez scored two runs in the win.
Holbrook 044 610 1 16
Winslow 021 123 0 9
Facing Window Rock in the title game on Saturday afternoon, Holbrook moved in front 3-1 with a pair of third inning runs.
The Scouts knotted the game in the bottom of the fifth only to see Holbrook extend its lead back to one in the sixth. Both teams scored once in the seventh frame, leaving Holbrook with a 5-4 win.
Barela went one for four. Kory Koerperich was one for four with a double and scored once. Spangler was one for three with a triple and scored once. Johnson scored a run. Murphy went one for three, had one RBI and stole one base. Reyes had a big day, going two for three with a double, walked, scored twice and had one RBI. Lozano was one for four with a triple. Baldonado went two for four with a double, stole one base and had one RBI. Aguilera went one for three.
Javier Quintana worked six innings to earn the win on the mound. He faced 29 batters and gave up three runs, only two earned, on four hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Layden worked the final inning, giving up one run on two hits against four batters.
Holbrook 012 001 1 5
Window Rock 001 020 1 4
The Roadrunners head to the state tournament as the 10th ranked team in power points. They will square off with seventh seeded Winslow for the fifth time this season in the opening round at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 6, at the Surprise Baseball Complex on Field 6. Holbrook and Winslow have split their four games, with each team winning twice. With a win the Birds would face either second ranked Fountain Hills or No. 15 Empire at 7 p.m. on Saturday. A loss would bring their season to a close.
