Gutsy pitcher propels Gators

Joe Robinson's arm hurt. It was stiff. But there was no place he would have rather been than on the mound Friday night.

And Green Valley was lucky to have him.

Pitching on one day of rest, the senior right-hander allowed one earned run on five hits in five innings as the Gators defeated Silverado 6-3 to win the Sunrise Region baseball tournament at Eldorado.

"It's sheer guts. It's heart, and it's desire," Green Valley coach Nick Garritano said of Robinson, who pitched six innings Wednesday in a 6-3 loss to Basic. "He wanted the ball really bad in that situation.

"We were in the locker room after the first game (Friday), and I said 'Joe, you want the ball?' And his eyes got huge."

The victory gives Green Valley (32-5) a berth in next week's Class 4A state tournament in Reno and Carson City. Silverado finished 25-12.

After allowing an unearned run in the top of the first, the Gators staked Robinson to a 2-1 lead after one, and they didn't trail again.

Robinson, who said he threw about 100 pitches Wednesday, took care of things from there, striking out five before leaving because of the tournament's 11-inning cap for pitchers.

"It was a little sore; it was a little tight," Robinson said of his arm. "I just had to work through it. I had to do what I could to get our team a win."

Eric Stewart went 3-for-3 with two doubles, and Tyler Blair drove in two runs to lead Green Valley's offense.

The Gators came back to win four straight games after the loss to Basic on Wednesday.

"They just showed a lot of heart and determination," Garritano said. "It was a total team effort. We had a lot of guys step up through this tournament."

• Green Valley 16, Basic 6 -- At Eldorado, freshman Chad Whiteaker's grand slam broke a 4-4 tie, and the Gators went on to oust the Wolves (21-11) in five innings.

Whiteaker's shot highlighted a seven-run third for Green Valley.

Jordan Van Hoosier was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs, and John Carra added three hits for the Gators.

Marcus Romero was 3-for-3 for Basic.

• Silverado 10, Las Vegas 9 -- At Eldorado, Braden Keathley's two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the sixth lifted the Skyhawks over the Wildcats.

Silverado trailed 9-7 entering the inning but pulled within one on an error before Keathley's blast.

Keathley went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and Trevor Kirk went 4-for-4 with a triple, a double and two runs for the Skyhawks.

Bryce Harper had a home run and five RBIs for Las Vegas. Marvin Campbell added a home run for the Wildcats (30-8).

Contact Prep Sports Editor Damon Seiters at dseiters@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-4587.