Broken Arrow Ledger 03/22/07 By: Doug Quinn - Arizona Championship Slips Away From BAHS

Arizona Championship Slips Away From BAHS
By:Doug Quinn
03/22/2007

It wasn't a Nightmare on Elm Street.

But, Phoenix, Ariz., was too close for Broken Arrow High School's baseball team Wednesday night.

A 10-9, extra inning loss to host Sunrise Mountain was a haunting reminder of a season gone by.

"This one hurts," BAHS assistant coach Jimmy Ashley said after the defeat in the Sunrise Mountain Festival
championship.

It caused flashbacks to the 2006 regional tournament when Bartlesville beat
BAHS in back-to-back games to earn the state tournament berth.

"We didn't find a way to win a close game," Ashley said. "We learned that last year (in the regional final)."

Adding salt to the wound - the Tigers had a 9-1 lead on Sunrise Mountain going into the bottom of the sixth.

"All we had to do was slam the door and go home," Ashley said. "We didn't get it done."

Sunrise exploded six runs in the bottom of the sixth and narrowed the gap to 9-7

The Phoenix school tied the game at 9-9 with a two-run homer in the seventh and pushed a cross an
unearned run in the eighth for the game-winner.

"There aren't any excuses for that happening," Ashley said, after the Tigers' six-game winning streak was
scissored.

Sophomore left-hander Morgan Croft was the Tiger starter and pitched the first five innings but didn't
figure in the decision.

Croft, allowing four hits, gave up a first-inning run before striking out four and walking two.

"Morgan did his job," Ashley said.

Sunrise Mountain rocked Tiger relievers Justin Rackleff, Adam Johnston and Derek Edmisten.

(Kevin LeMoine recorded one strike-out and allowed no hits or walks in his relief appearance in the sixth).

In the eighth, Edmisten - who took the loss - recorded two quick outs before two singles were sandwiched
around an error.

Tigers 5, Mountain Ridge 0

In the semifinals, BAHS's Nathan Pettus tossed a one-hit shutout.

The senior gave up his only hit in the first inning and finished with eight strikeouts and one walk.

* BAHS was 5-1 in the three-day event, now 10-3 overall.

* The Tigers were scheduled to fly back to Thursday night.

* BAHS hosts Stillwater Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

BROKEN ARROW 5, MOUNTAIN RIDGE 0

Mountain Ridge   000   000   0 - 0 1 3

Broken Arrow      102   110    X - 5 5 0

Schembari, Cole (5), Markel (6) and Gardner; Pettus and Burgess.
W - Pettus (3-1). L - Schembari.

SUNRISE MOUNTAIN 10, BROKEN ARROW 9

(8 Innings)

Broken Arrow         200 502   00 - 9 11 3

Sunrise Mountain 100   006   21 -10 11 1

Croft, Rackleff (6) LeMoine (6), Johnston (7), Edmisten (8) and Burgess and Osburn (6);
Zrosky, Buroli (6) and Lee.
W - Buroli. L - Edmisten (1-1).
HRs - SM: Lee, Nivetz.

©Neighbor Newspapers 2007