SUNSET BASEBALL: Robbins’ RBI single lifts Gaels in 10th inning

Bishop Gorman’s baseball team had the winning run in scoring position in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings Friday, but couldn’t bring it home.

The Gaels finally took advantage of a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the 10th when Grant Robbins drove an 0-1 pitch over the head of Centennial right fielder Jared Drizin for an RBI single and a 2-1 win in the losers’ bracket final of the Sunset Region tournament at Desert Oasis.

“I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to be able to finish this game,” Gorman coach Gino DiMaria said. “Thank God our pitching stepped up today and got it done. Usually one complements the other, but the pitching really held us together. And at the perfect time, Grant came in and just hit where he was supposed to.”

Gorman (27-3) plays Arbor View (25-8) for the Sunset title at 1 p.m. Saturday at Desert Oasis. Should the Gaels win, a second game would be played to determine the champion.

Brandon Wulff started the 10th-inning rally with a one-out single, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch on ball four to Austin Cram.

Robbins, who was 0-for-4, then lined a ball over Drizin’s head to bring home the winning run.

The Gaels had plenty of chances to end the game earlier, but couldn’t push across the run.

Gorman had runners on the corners with one out in the ninth for standout shortstop Cadyn Grenier. But he hit a bouncer up the middle to Centennial shortstop Tanner Wright, who fielded the ball, stepped on second and fired to first to complete the double play.

Beau Capanna led off the eighth with a single, and Wulff walked. Cram sacrificed them to second and third, and Robbins was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Matt Hudgins lifted a fly ball that left fielder Bryce Rheault was able to track down. Capanna appeared to come home to score the winning run on the play, but umpires ruled that Capanna left third early, and he was forced out to end the inning.

Grenier also bounced into a force out to end the seventh with runners at first and second.

“Their pitchers did a great job,” DiMaria said of Centennial’s Kyle Horton and Jake Rogers. “They kept us off balance and they hit their spots and got us swinging at their pitch instead of being more patient and waiting for our pitch. We finally came through, though. We finally got the hit that we needed.”

Capanna hit a one-out homer in the bottom of the first, and that was the only run that would score until the seventh.

Gorman starter Chase Maddux cruised through six innings, allowing just one runner to reach second base.

He retired the first two batters in the seventh before Zachary Dixon hit a soft liner to center for a single.

DiMaria lifted Maddux in favor of Chris Fredericksen, who yielded back-to-back singles to Frank Sessa and Rogers. Pinch-runner Hayden Rosenkrantz came home to score the tying run on Rogers’ hit.

DiMaria was forced to bring in ace Jack Little, who had pitched seven innings in the tournament opener on Tuesday.

Little got an 0-2 count on pinch hitter Jared Grimm, and Centennial (23-13) then went for a first-and-third play with Rogers breaking for second.

Little stepped off and threw the ball to Grenier, who fired home to get Hayden Grant at the plate to end the inning.

Little threw 3 1/3 hitless innings with two strikeouts to get the win.

“We didn’t want to use him, but there is no tomorrow,” DiMaria said. “If you’re not promised tomorrow, what are you going to give today? And we had to give everything we had today.”

Maddux, the son of Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, allowed five hits in 6 2/3 innings. The UNLV signee struck out six with no walks.

“He did a hell of a job,” DiMaria said. “I’m proud of him, because he takes a lot of criticism that he’s playing baseball at UNLV because of his dad. He showed tonight why he’s going to UNLV and he’s been showing it all year.

“It ain’t because of his dad, it’s because of him. The kid can flat out pitch.”

Centennial’s Horton allowed just one run on seven hits over seven innings, and Rogers went 3-for-4 for the Bulldogs.

Centennial 12, Palo Verde 7 — Horton was 2-for-4 with a double and three runs, and Rogers went 2-for-5 with three runs as the Bulldogs beat the Panthers earlier Friday to stay alive.

Jake Portaro was 1-for-1 with a two-run homer and four walks for Centennial, which scored six runs in the third inning to take control.

Dixon went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Bulldogs.

Yodai Nakamura was 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and Ryan Merino went 3-for-5 with two runs for Palo Verde (12-20).