Rough third inning dooms Kofa against Marcos de Niza

In the top of the third against Tempe-Marco de Niza in a Class 5A Division II State Baseball Playoff game, Kofa walked two batters, committed two errors, threw two wild pitches and had a passed ball.
 
At the time, Kings coach Richy Leon said he was grateful his team only gave up two runs.
 
But those two runs proved to be the difference in a 3-2 Padres win at Boemer Field on Saturday, sending the Kings into an elimination game Tuesday at home against Phoenix-Skyline.
 
The Padres (10-9) and Kings (13-7) were scoreless after two, when No. 9 hitter Kendall Konopka reached on an error by third baseman Blake Johnston. Jeff Anderson followed with a single to left, and a failed sacrifice kept runners at first and second with one out.
 
But on the first pitch to next batter Max Sankey, the pitch in the dirt got past catcher Jared Helms, who still attempted a throw to third which sailed into left, allowing Konopka to score. Walks to the next two batters loaded the bases, and a sacrifice fly by starting pitcher Mike Kenneth brought home Anderson.
 
Another pitch got away from Helms on the first pitch to the next batter, but Sankey got a late jump from third and was thrown out at the plate.
 
"One run is a big deal, and we gave up two runs in that inning when we gave up (two) errors in that inning, walked two, and there was passed ball/wild pitch sprinkled in there," Leon said. "At that point in time, you think you're lucky to walk out of there only giving up two with everything that happened, but obviously that was the difference."
 
Meanwhile, the Kofa bats were kept quiet early by Kenneth, but started to awake in the fourth when Albert Alvarez - who went 3-for-4 - doubled and the Kings loaded the bases with two outs, but Jorge de los Reyes struck out.
 
Kofa starter Claudio Valencia recovered early in the fourth, getting the first two outs, but allowed a hard single off the glove of Johnston to No. 8 hitter Kyle Becerra and a triple to right from Konopka to put the Padres ahead 3-0.
 
"We work on two-out execution all the time, getting runners in with two outs," Padre coach Felipe Becerra said. "It's one of those things we executed what we practice."
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Cesar Valenzuela singled, stole second and eventually scored on a single by Alvarez. The Kings got runners to second and third with one out, but cleanup hitter Gustavo Albarran struck out and No. 5 hitter Simon Corea grounded out to end the threat.
 
Albarran and Corea combined to go 0-for-7 with four strikeouts and three groundouts in the infield.
 
"A lot of guys chased pitches early in the count and usually we don't do that," Leon said. "I think we went out of our discipline plan. But you have to give credit to their kid - he threw two, three different pitches for strikes. He'd get behind on fastballs and come back with a breaking ball and throw it for a strike. It's hard to beat a team like that if you're not disciplined and a kid's doing what he did today."
 
Kofa tacked on an unearned run in the sixth when Valenzuela singled to right and Andy Swan bobbled the ball, allowing Johnston to score - he had stopped at third before the bobble.
 
But that was only one of two errors in the game for the Padre defense, which more often than not made the big play when they needed to.
 
"That was another huge factor," Becerra said. "Obviously when the defense is making plays for you, it's going to make it that much more easier for your pitcher."
 
New Mexico State signee Brian King got the top of the Kings order in the seventh for the save. The only other hit for the Kings in the game besides the two by Valenzuela and three from Alvarez was on a check-swing dribbler in the infield by Valencia.
 
Kenneth pitched six innings, allowing two runs, one earned. He walked three and struck out five while scattering six hits. Valencia threw five innings, gave up one earned, walked three and struck out one. In two scoreless innings of relief, Corea allowed one hit and struck out two.
 
Leon said the Kings - who beat Marcos de Niza 7-5 earlier this season - ended up pushing too hard and were undisciplined at the plate.
 
"It's kind of a snowball effect," Leon said, "and we got caught on the negative side today."