YUMA, AZ – Yuma High scored six runs with two outs in a hectic seventh inning against Cibola Friday night, but at that point it was too little, too late.
The Raiders, who won for the fifth time this season, broke them game open early and held on for a 12-6 win at Yuma High to sweep the two-game season series.
“In the first innings, we didn’t show up to play,” Yuma head coach Nick Johnson said. “Then they put it on us, they started stepping on the gas pedal and put up 12.”
The Raiders (5-7) didn’t put up any runs in the first inning,but got going in the next three innings. Second baseman Ricky Munoz, who finished 2-for-3 with three runs and two stolen bases, helped break the game open with a leadoff single in the third off Yuma starter Alex Guerra. Three of the next five batters got on for Cibola, capped by catcher Gildardo Hernandez's walk.
“Tonight, was just another night at the office for him [Munoz],” Cibola head coach Larsen Jones said. “We have expected a lot out of him and he is performing really well, making great plays out there.”
The fourth inning was a mere reflection of what happened in the third where centerfielder J.J. Martinez contributed to the two runs made in this inning. Martinez played an excellent overall game by making three runs on two hits with five appearances at the plate and on top of that three RBIs.
It wasn’t until the seventh inning where Yuma started to pick things up. First baseman Saul Millan aided greatly in bringing home his teammates with a two RBI double and run scored. Guerra, who had moved to centerfield after being lifted from the game in the middle of the fourth in favor of Gabriel Villarreal, crushed a three-run homer to right-center that landed in the metal football bleachers. The Criminals scored all six of their runs in the inning.
“We showed up started swinging the bat how we should’ve in the seventh inning,” Johnson said. “We should play like that from inning one to inning seven. You should play full speed one hundred percent of the time.”
Ending the game 12-6, the Raiders took home their second victory against the Criminals after defeating them earlier this season, 10-0. Looking to play Skyline away from home on the March 21, Cibola will keep practicing hard and carrying over their strong work ethic into the game.
“You play how you practice and we try to practice hard,” Jones said. “We hustle at practice and hopefully that carries over.”
