Through the first four innings of its nonregion matchup with No. 10-ranked Scottsdale Christian Academy, the Camp Verde High School baseball team built a 4-1 lead and held its opponent to two hits and three baserunners.
Then it all came unraveled in the blink of an eye, a 13-run fifth inning that sunk the Cowboys to a 14-4, mercy rule defeat on Saturday, April 14.
“It’s horrible, but it’s high school baseball unfortunately. A lot of times these kids they make a mistake and they can’t get back off of it and pick themselves up and move forward,” Cowboys assistant coach Nathan Jackson said. “This is a great team and especially it hurts really bad when you’re leading four, possibly even five to one if we didn’t have a bad decision on one of our runners’ part. Yeah, it stings a lot, and hopefully we can move forward having Sedona on Tuesday.”
Despite the loss, it was a sign of what the youthful Cowboys’ capabilities are against one of Conference 2A’s top programs, a state semifinalist in 2017. A combination of solid defense and a little bit of good fortune led the
No. 16-ranked Cowboys to an early lead.
“We hung with them, we were ahead, and without those mistakes and moving forward you can be that same [10th]-ranked team,” Jackson said. “They can definitely learn from them and see where they need to be.”
Cowboys junior starting pitcher Dominiq Bruno gave up a leadoff walk to start the game, but junior catcher Dakota Battise threw down the runner attempting to steal second. Bruno went four and one-third innings, giving up six hits, four earned runs and walked three with zero strikeouts.
After retiring the side in the top of the second, the Cowboys got on the board. Freshmen third baseman Peyton Kelley and shortstop Mason Rayburn singled to start the inning before sophomore left fielder Kelton O’Grady reached on an error by Scottsdale Christian junior third baseman Tanner Hoffman.
The Eagles reduced the damage when Camp Verde sophomore first baseman Wylie Howe grounded into a double play. Cowboys sophomore right fielder Kolby Hedges’ single to center field drove Rayburn in for the 1-0 lead.
Scottsdale Christian answered back in the third inning. A single and a double put runners at second and third, then Eagles sophomore Benjamin Meyerson hit an RBI ground out, and Bruno induced a fly out to end the inning.
Camp Verde’s three-run third inning got started with sophomore center fielder Dawson McCune’s leadoff walk, who then stole second. Sophomore second baseman Coke Bast singled before stealing second as well, then came the bit of good fortune.
Kelley’s ground ball took a wild bounce over the right shoulder of Eagles sophomore second baseman Landon Glennie, scoring both runners. Rayburn then drove a double to deep center field to bring Kelley home. The hosts were leading 4-1 and would benefit from a combination of luck and heads up baseball.
In the top of the fourth frame, Hoffman turned his body away and his bat into a high pitch. It caromed of the edge of his bat and danced down the first base line, where Bruno tracked it and fired to first to put Hoffman out, still standing in the batter’s box.
Rayburn made a tough play for the final out, ranging to his right and backhanding a ground ball before making the throw to first in time.
The defense wavered in the fifth. Errors were the fuel, the runs surrendered and the game lost, but the physical mistakes boil down to mental toughness. The Scottsdale Christian dugout was rocking while Camp Verde’s was relatively silent.
“Just keep our minds strong. We kind of gave up the last two innings we just let ourselves go, really, and that’s about it,” McCune said. “Always be prepared. First pitch prepared, and always keep our heads up, too.”
Scottsdale Christian batted through the lineup, starting with its No. 9 hitter, junior right fielder Tanner Gibson. A pair of fly balls to left field and a sacrifice bunt put the Eagles in prime scoring position.
Bast’s error on a ground ball allowed the first run to score, then Meyerson roped a pitch high in the zone into left center field for two-run double that tied the game.
Another error kept the inning alive. A line drive to left field came off O’Grady’s glove, putting runners at the corners, and Cowboys head coach Will Davis swapped O’Grady and Hedges at the corner outfield positions.
Hoffman was intentionally walked to load the bases, but the Cowboys could not get the double play. A single gave the Eagles the lead, and a bases-loaded walk ended Bruno’s day on the mound.
Kelley took over, whose first pitch was pulled down the left field line to make it 8-4. A fielder’s choice ground ball to get the force out at second was called safe; a passed ball let the ninth run score; a lackadaisical throw back to Kelley on the mound welcomed in the 10th.
Two walks loaded the bases again before Meyerson doubled to clear them. A sacrifice fly scored the 14th run.
“I don’t want to say they needed this because we’ve had a few of these in the season, but this was by far the quickest as far as it turns,” Jackson said. “You’re looking at a [10th]-ranked team over there, and they put it to us pretty quick whenever you start making mistakes, and this is a big eye-opener.”
The Scottsdale Christian dugout was loud, and Bast was the Cowboys’ lone baserunner in the fifth after being hit by a pitch.
The focus returned to the Central Region. The Cowboys were in first place at press time, and hosted Verde Valley rival Sedona Red Rock High School on Tuesday,
April 17. It next hosts Paradise Honors High School at 3:45 p.m. Friday, April 20.
