Queen Creek is proving that in baseball, it's not about how you start—it's about how you finish. The top-seeded Bulldogs clawed their way through the losers' bracket, winning their third straight elimination game on Tuesday, May 12, with a commanding 9-2 victory over Mesa Red Mountain to punch their ticket to the 6A state semifinals.
The bats came alive when it mattered most. David Howard, Diego Armenta, and Frank Gearhart each went deep, sending Red Mountain home for the season. Gearhart was a one-man wrecking crew, driving in three runs while also lacing two doubles. Howard matched him with three RBIs of his own, giving Queen Creek (28-4) all the firepower it needed to keep its championship hopes alive.
Next up for the Bulldogs is a familiar foe: defending state champion and No. 4 seed Tempe Corona del Sol. The two will square off on Friday, May 15, at 4 p.m. at Mesa's Hohokam Stadium—a stage that promises plenty of drama for a team that's already shown it thrives under pressure.
While Queen Creek celebrated, No. 2 Casteel saw its season come to an abrupt end in a 12-3 loss to Phoenix Sandra Day O'Connor. Pitcher Tommy Pascanu was once again the difference-maker for the Eagles, delivering 5⅔ strong innings of six-hit ball, allowing just two earned runs while striking out six. It was the second time in a week that Pascanu had silenced the Colts' lineup, following a 3-0 shutout in their previous meeting.
O'Connor's offense erupted in a massive eight-run third inning, highlighted by Clayton Sheets' grand slam and Brent Sollars' two-run homer. The No. 10 Eagles (25-9) will now face No. 3 Chandler Hamilton (20-9) in the later semifinal on Friday at 6:30 p.m., also at Hohokam Stadium. The stakes couldn't be higher—the winner earns a shot at the state title on May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
Down in the 3A playoffs, the action was just as intense. Chandler Valley Christian and Yuma Catholic both took commanding 1-0 leads in their best-of-three semifinal series, winning by identical 10-0 scores at Diablo Stadium. Valley Christian's Cameron Bergloff was dominant on the mound, striking out 10 batters while walking just one and scattering three hits over four innings. He also contributed at the plate with a double and three RBIs.
Yuma Catholic rode the hot bat of Erik Topete, who collected three hits and three RBIs, while Daniel Ruiz launched a three-run homer. On the mound, Jose Alatorre was nearly untouchable, allowing just one hit in a five-inning mercy-rule victory. Both series resume on May 14 at Maryvale Park, with Yuma Catholic facing Northwest Christian at 4 p.m., followed by Valley Christian taking on Kingman at 6:30 p.m.