Silverado rallies in ninth, ousts Sierra Vista from state tournament

Sierra Vista's American Legion baseball team lost only twice in 26 league games this summer. But it only took two state tournament games for the Lions to match that total.

Silverado rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth inning Monday to defeat the league champions 8-5 at UNLV's Wilson Stadium, ending Sierra Vista's season.

"I was real proud of them," Silverado coach Brian Whitaker said. "They never quit, and it was a nice win for us today. They're a good team."

Trailing 5-4, Silverado's Jordan Keegan walked to lead off the ninth. Adam Koglin put down a sacrifice bunt fielded by pitcher Kiel Harmon, but his throw got past first baseman Lance Ray.

Keegan scored all the way from first to tie the game, and Koglin advanced to third.

Pierce Belaustegui then lined a single to left to score the go-ahead run. Trevor Kirk followed with an RBI double into the left-field corner. He moved to third on an errant pickoff attempt by Harmon and scored on Dillon Smith's sacrifice fly.

The Lions (44-6) threatened in the bottom of the ninth when Ray reached on an error and Chad Claus was hit by a pitch. But Silverado starter Kevin Chapman got cleanup hitter Kyle Gutchewsky to pop out, and Chuck Howard lined out to second baseman Koglin, who flipped to Kirk to double Ray off second and end the game.

Chapman, a 2006 graduate, went the distance, allowing three earned runs, to improve to 8-1. He allowed four runs in the first two innings before settling down. The Lions' lone run after that came on Ray's solo homer in the fifth.

"(Chapman) has been carrying us all summer long, and for him to come out and throw a complete game against a team like Sierra Vista is a great job," Whitaker said.

Belaustegui and Kirk each went 2-for-4, and Smith was 2-for-3 for Silverado (18-15), which plays Green Valley (18-18) at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Ray finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs for Sierra Vista.

• Coronado 10, Green Valley 4 -- The Cougars improved to 2-0 in the tournament, scoring five unearned runs as Green Valley committed nine errors.

Tim Arthur smacked a two-run homer in the fifth to break a 3-3 tie, and the Cougars were in control the rest of the way.

Arthur drove in three runs, and Brandon Evans and Ryan McIntyre each had two hits.

Javy Perez pitched six innings in relief, allowing two runs on seven hits, to get his second win of the tournament and boost his record to 8-1.

The Cougars (19-9) will play the winner of Wednesday's game between Green Valley and Silverado at 8 p.m. Thursday.

Jordan Van Hoosier, Nick Melino and Brett Harrison each had two hits for Green Valley.