Bad hop good for Desert Oasis

Desert Oasis’ baseball team was unable to capitalize on an error in the first inning Thursday and also squandered a chance for a big inning in the second.

But when the Diamondbacks caught a break in the fifth inning, they finally took advantage.

Bryson Stott reached base on a bad-hop double and scored on Isaiah Raiano’s sacrifice fly, and that proved to be the difference as the host Diamondbacks held on for a 3-2 victory over Shadow Ridge.

“We’ve been struggling to get that timely hit, and today it was nice,” Desert Oasis coach Paul Buboltz said. “We’ve got a big game against Arbor View (Friday), so we’re hoping this gives us a little momentum. It’s all about setting yourself for a playoff seed now.”

Stott went 3-for-3 with an RBI and pitched two perfect innings to earn the save after starter Brett Brocoff held Shadow Ridge in check for the first five innings.

Kyle Fuentes also drove in a run for the Diamondbacks (16-11, 8-7 Division I Sunset League).

“When we win, we’re leaning on our leaders, and those guys did a real nice job today,” Buboltz said. “Brett kind of ran out of gas a little bit there, and we decided to roll the dice a little bit and try to get this one today rather than saving (Stott) for the rest of the week.”

Shadow Ridge (16-11, 10-5) tied the game at 2 in the fifth, as Trevin Reynolds’ bloop single to right scored Eric Jordan. But the Diamondbacks answered in the bottom of the inning, minutes after a burst of rain passed through the southwest part of the valley.

Stott hit a routine grounder to second, and the ball took a nasty hop on the muddy infield past Jordan. Stott hustled into second, and when the throw from the outfield got away for one of the Mustangs’ five errors, Stott advanced to third.

Brocoff was then intentionally walked to set up the double play before Raiano lifted a fly ball to deep left that plated Stott with the go-ahead run.

Kyle Gaura finished 2-for-3 with a sun-aided double in the first inning for the Mustangs. Justin Lee was 1-for-3 and knocked in Shadow Ridge’s first run.

Brocoff scattered seven hits in five innings and allowed two earned runs while striking out five as he outdueled Shadow Ridge starter Nick Parr.

“We were in this spot last time we played them, kind of a must-win game,” Buboltz said. “Brocoff’s been our guy on the mound all year, and he’s been on the short side of a couple games where I thought we should have won and we didn’t. It’s nice for him to get one today.”

Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ