Just like the Mingus Union softball team, the Mingus Union baseball team was ranked No. 6 going into the Division III state tournament, had a round one bye, breezed through the second round, and then were knocked out by the No. 3 team in quarterfinals.
The Marauders looked like a championship team both offensively and defensively in the second round of the tournament when they shut down No. 11 Morenci Jr./Sr. High School 11-1 on Friday, May 3, at the Surprise Sports Complex.
In front of a big crowd of red on both sides, Morenci was able to squeak out one run in the first inning, the only run they could get the entire game.
Mingus Union took the lead in the bottom of the first when Tom McCarty was knocked in by Tyler Herndon and Taylor Mathe scored on a wild pitch right before that.
In the second inning, Mathe batted in Marshall Shill before McCarty hit a three-run triple. Austin Zwart next made it to third base on a hit, running in McCarty. Andres Zorrilla scored the ninth run on a double by Shane Trimble.
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, May 8, issue of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.