Justice Nakagawa HR's for Vaqueros in 15-5 win.
Justice Nakagawa HR's for Vaqueros in 15-5 win.

Central Bats and Townsend Send South Mountain Down In Seven

Central Arizona scored once in the third inning on a South Mountain balk, and after four innings it was 10-0. Justice Nakagawa singled sharply to left center with bases full and from there it was all base hits and a grand slam from Pikai Duque-Winchester fuleing a nine run fourth inning.

#2 seed Central wins game one of the best-of-three first round with a 14-4 run-rule win over #3 seed South Mountain.

The Vaqueros had two remarkable double plays and a Grant Townsend pick-off early that had to play some part in South Mountain's unraveling, and played a big part in getting Central started. It seemed like South Mountain was having a tough time in the field all day but that was largely because Central was rapping the ball everywhere and running aggressive bases. 

Just put the ball in play.

Winchester is 5'10" and 185. In the nine-run fourth he hit a baseball just to the right of the flagpole which is the biggest part of the park, for a grand slam that traveled at least 425. How is that done in that frame.

South Mountain loaded the bases with one out in the third and on a medium distance fly ball, Brent Bailey caught it, relayed to third baseman Roger Varela and it was a tag-out double play at the plate. In the second inning, Townsend and Chris Diehl combined for a strikeout-throwout double play on a runner who stole 49 bases this year. And in the top of the fourth, Central ruined the "intentional rundown" play with men on first and third by throwing out the runner trying to score. 

 

Congrats from First Base Coach Joe Perez to Brent Bailey after an early liner.

So South Mountain had men on early, but none scored until the fifth. Four scored but all were unearned. Townsend threw the entire seven innings for his tenth win. Grant doing Grant.

Andrew Chartrand sprayed it everywhere with three hits, Brent Bailey did the same, and the rest of Central Arizona added eight more hits totaling 14. Alix Garcia and Nakagawa also doubled. 

Chartrand (7) Ty Johnson (20) and Jake Vanderwal (8) in fourth inning.

Game Two is Friday at 2PM at The Big House.