Monday, May 16, 2005 | 9:13 a.m.
All games at Lied Field at Morse Stadium CCSN Henderson Campus
Thursday
Green Valley (1-Sunrise) vs. Centennial (2-Sunset) 4 p.m.
Sierra Vista (1-Sunset) vs. Spanish Springs (1-North) 7 p.m.
Friday
Thursday losers, 1 p.m.
Thursday winners, 4 p.m.
Winner of 1 p.m. game vs. loser of 4 p.m. game, 7 p.m.
Saturday
State championship, 12 p.m.
"If Game", 3 p.m.
At one regional championship, two teams played some of the best baseball seen in Southern Nevada this year. At the other title game, one school asserted its dominance against the season's Cinderella story.
And on Saturday, the only real disappointment of the weekend is that four teams from Southern Nevada couldn't make the state tournament, after Basic's postseason resurgence ended in a 10-3 home loss to Centennial.
Basic couldn't have come closer to earning a berth outright Friday night. Playing Green Valley for the Sunrise Region title in front of a packed house at Gary Chaires Stadium that spilled onto nearby Dooley Drive in downtown Henderson, the Wolves and Gators engaged in a well-pitched defensive battle.
Both teams entered the game with pitching depleted, essentially everybody who ever touched a rosin bag having spent some time on the mound in the three earlier days of the Sunrise tournament.
Green Valley starter Mike McKeaige was the first to cave, giving up three consecutive base hitsin the second inning. In the third, Kyle Bondurant doubled, but it was the last hit McKeaige gave up.
Basic's Brandon Romero started out nearly as strong as McKeaige finished, allowing two hits through three innings before the fourth inning that all but put a halt to the Wolves' season.
After two singles and a double, scored one run, Josh Konicek hit a gentle grounder to first baseman Zeke Roybal, who paused to check on the baserunners before opting to make the play at first.
But by the time Roybal realized his only play was right behind him, Konicek was well on his way to the bag, and by the time Roybal got the ball to Romero, the bases were loaded.
Romero walked the next batter, Chris Zuniga, on four pitches.
The run was unearned, but it counted, leaving Basic with a one-run hole. Romero retired 11 of the 12 batters he faced after the walk to Zuniga.
The Wolves had a chance in the bottom of the seventh. Catcher Kylee Hash was up with one out and runners on third and first, but Hash grounded a 2-2 pitch by Gators ace Greg Krause to second baseman Louie Greb, who, along with Ryan Foley and Ryan Heroy, turned the double play to seal the title for Green Valley.
"Obviously the state championship games in 2001 and 2003 are the best victories ... but this one after that ranks up there," Gators coach Nick Garritano said after the 2-1 win. "We were just fortunate we won. It feels nice to win one that matters up here."
Basic coach Mike Kazek sounded awed by the game afterwards, even if he didn't like the outcome.
"(Romero) threw a great ballgame. Only two runs against a good hitting ballclub like that, that was a hell of a performance," he said. "We just didn't get a timely hit, that's all it was. Congrats to Green Valley, they played a heck of a ballgame. It was a heck of a ballgame on both sides."
Well before the Gators' clutch double play put the Sunrise title to bed, the Sunset title game was all wrapped up.
Sierra Vista, with the state's best record at 31-5, cruised to a 7-0 win against Centennial for the Sunset crown. Chad Riddle allowed two hits and no walks in his four-inning start, and Justin Mettelka pitched a three-inning, no-hit and three-walk save to earn the Mountain Lions their first berth in the state tournament.
"Our pitching has been good -- all four of those guys have been good," Sierra Vista coach Nate Selby said. "We've played better defense the last couple weeks than we've played early, which has helped."
Surprisingly, Centennial was the team quick to rebound in Saturday's play-in game, despite a 33-mile trip to Basic early in the morning.
"We told the kids, and we didn't know at the time whoever lost on the other side, they're in the same boat as us," Centennial coach Charlie Cerrone said. "Whoever is ready to play is going to get it done. We tried to stay positive, we didn't even talk about Friday night's game at all."
Tyler Lavigne pitched for the Bulldogs in the 10-3 victory. As the second seed from the Sunset Region, Centennial (24-14) will face Green Valley in Thursday's state tournament opener at the CCSN Henderson campus.
In the 2A South tournament, White Pine surged out of the one-loss bracket to win three games Saturday, first beating The Meadows 15-14 then taking 18-5 and 12-2 wins against host Needles. The Bobcats advance to the 2A state tournament at The Meadows and a first round game against Battle Mountain, while Needles will play 2A North champion Whittell.
After being defeated by one-loss Tonopah in the first game, Calvary Chapel bounced back for a 19-8 victory and a 1A South championship at Mountain View. The Lions will play Carlin in Friday's 1A state first round at Moapa Valley. Tonopah is scheduled to play Wells.
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