SUNRISE REGION: Overlooked Kline stymies Cougars, sends Rams to title game
Kevin Kline sometimes gets overlooked on a Rancho pitching staff that features two future UNLV hurlers in Eric Holdren and Zak Qualls.
But Kline was plenty good in the biggest game of the season Wednesday at Las Vegas High.
Kline fired a three-hitter, striking out six and walking one, to move to 8-1 on the season as the Rams downed Coronado, 12-0 in five innings to move into the championship game of the Sunrise Region tournament.
“Kevin has done a great job all year,” Rancho coach Tom Pletsch said. “He’s probably been our most consistent pitcher, and he really did a good job.”
Coronado (21-12) fell into the losers’ bracket. Green Valley (28-6) plays Liberty (19-9-1) at 1 p.m. Thursday at Las Vegas, with the winner facing Coronado at 4 p.m.
The winner of that contest takes on Rancho (30-4) at 1 p.m. on Friday at Las Vegas. Should the Rams lose that game, a second game would be played to determine the region champion and automatic berth in next week’s state tournament.
“This is the most critical game in the whole thing because we get the day off while everybody beats each other up tomorrow,” Pletsch said. “And pretty much our entire pitching staff will be ready to go on Friday.”
Kline proved to be difficult for Coronado to solve, mixing in a curveball and change-up while spotting his fastball.
“I had the change-up and curveball I was spotting real well,” Kline said. “My change-up was working early in the count and late in the count, so that was big.
“We knew coming in that they were a real aggressive team, so we knew the change would be really effective, and it was.”
Rancho spotted Kline with a five-run lead before he even took the mound. Brandon Pletsch and Gabe Chavira had two-run doubles in the first, and Kline drove in a run with a groundout as the Rams opened up a quick lead.
“It’s big whenever you get run support from your teammates,” Kline said. “It just makes your job easier out there on the mound.”
A solo homer by Qualls and a two-run shot by Holdren made it 8-0 after three innings, and the Rams added two more runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Kline and Chavira. They got two more runs in the fifth on RBI doubles by Qualls and Brandon Pletsch.
Brandon Pletsch was 3-for-4 with three doubles, three runs and three RBIs to lead Rancho’s 14-hit attack. Qualls, Kline, Holdren and Chavira each added two hits for Rancho, which hopes to return to state after finishing second last season.
“(With) the experience we gained last year in the state tournament, I think the kids are hungry and want to get back there,” Tom Pletsch said. “But we by no means are taking anything for granted. We are going to come ready to play on Friday.”
Dillon Fahr went 2-for-3 with a double for Coronado.
Green Valley 3, Las Vegas 2 — Braden Rogers drew a two-out walk with the bases loaded to force home Evan Van Hoosier in the top of the eighth and give the Gators the win over the Wildcats (22-8).
Rogers entered the game after cleanup hitter Chad Whiteaker was injured in the fourth inning.
Las Vegas walked No. 3 hitter Brett Harrison three times to get to Rogers, including once in the eighth inning.
Jake DiDonato allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings to get the win, and Harrison retired the side in order in the eighth to get the save for the Gators, who survived despite stranding 14 runners, with 10 in scoring position.
Las Vegas tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out single by Tanner Chauncey.
DiDonato then walked Brady Page, but got Xavier Palmer to fly out to center to end the threat.
Whiteaker went 2-for-2 with an RBI before leaving with an elbow injury after colliding with a runner at third base.
Gabe Douglas was 2-for-5 with a double and a run, and Zack Vergiels added an RBI for the Gators.
Dillon Dove went 2-for-2 with two runs for Las Vegas. He also took the loss despite allowing just one hit in four innings of work.
Liberty 14, Silverado 4 — Marcos Rivera was 4-for-4 with a double and five RBIs to help the Patriots to the five-inning win.
Josh McCollum went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, and Daniel Topps, Manuel Menocal, Michael Vargas and Chris Bradford each added two hits for Liberty.
All nine Liberty starters had at least one hit.
Josh Bravin was 2-for-3 with a run for Silverado, which finished 17-15.
