Holbrook climbed to sixth in the final 3A State baseball rankings and as the sixth seed they avoided having to play in the state play-in games. The Roadrunners will now face No. 11 Payson in the first round of the state tournament at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 4, at the Surprise Sports Complex. If the Birds can get past the Longhorns they would face either No. 14 Blue Ridge or No. 3 Sahuarita at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 5.
Holbrook split their two east region games with the Longhorns this season losing in Payson 4-0, then avenging that loss with a 4-2 win in their final regular season game played in Holbrook on Monday of last week.
The two teams finished in a three-way tie for first place in the region along with Show Low. Holbrook won the east crown by virtue of the tiebreaker system.
In their regular season finale Holbrook now 20-8, defeated the Longhorns now 19-10 by two runs. Holbrook scored once in the bottom of the first. Payson went on top with two runs in the top of the third, only to see Holbrook tie the game up at 2-2. The game stayed tied until the bottom of the sixth when Holbrook scored the final two runs to secure the win.
Jalen Nez pitched 6.1 innings allowing just two runs on eight hits with six strikeouts. Justin Perkins worked the final two outs with one hit and one strikeout.
At the plate, Perkins went 2 for 3, with a double; Frankie Ulibarri was 1 for 3, with a double; and Jalen Nez got the only other hit going 1 for 3. Payson outhit Holbrook eight to four, but their hits were scattered and for the most part non productive. Payson also committed six defensive errors in the loss, while Holbrook played error free.
