Raiders wrap up region crown to earn 8th straight postseason appearance

SAN LUIS, Ariz. - One way or another, Cibola baseball coach Duane Evans always has his team in the state playoffs.

But with a power rating that was on the bubble in 5A Division I heading into the season finale at San Luis, nothing was for certain this year.

The Raiders still found a way.

Cibola put an end to the debate with 8-7 and 10-6 victories over the Sidewinders on Tuesday to successfully defend its 5A Gila Valley Region title and wrap up an eighth consecutive trip to the state playoffs. The 8-7 win was the conclusion of a March 15 game that was suspended as a 5-5 tie in the 10th inning because of darkness.

Kofa can still claim a share of the region championship with a win at Casa Grande today, but Cibola has the edge in power points and head-to-head meetings.

"Our main goal was to get a win somewhere and hopefully secure a state spot. In our program, we take pride in going to state," Evans said. "Then after we won the first game, it put the thought in our mind that we had a chance to win the region. We got an opportunity in the seventh and we took it."

The Raiders (18-8 overall, 8-4 5A Gila Valley) overcame a 6-5 deficit while down to their last three outs in the second game. Cibola struck for five runs in the top of the seventh to clinch the region championship.

Ruben Robledo was the offensive hero in both games. He had a bases-loaded triple to help Cibola hang on and take Game 1, and knocked in what proved to be the winning run in the second game.

San Luis (16-11 overall, 5-6 Gila Valley) has now dropped three straight. The Sidewinders can take solace in knowing that their season doesn't come to an end at the end of this week. They are assured of a 5A Division II state playoff berth along with Kofa.

But San Luis coach Cesar Castillo said his team needs to right the ship in its final regular-season game at Yuma High on Thursday.

"We haven't been able to control our emotions in key situations and find a way to come through without having Javier (Solano) on the mound, and we can't have him out there all the time," Castillo said. "We're hitting a big bump right now. Hopefully, we can overcome it against Yuma High on Thursday and have that momentum going into the playoffs on Saturday."

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Derrik Miller can be reached at dmiller@yumasun.com or 782-6520.