Stratton, Jacobo help Criminals snap skid with win over Kings

 Coaches often say one swing of a bat can prove to be a momentum change for a game or even a season.

Yuma High catcher Alex Stratton proved the saying Wednesday night, launching a grand slam in the fourth inning of the Criminals' 6-3 win over

Gila Valley Region foe Kofa at Boemer Field.

 The win snapped a six-game skid for the Criminals (5-10 overall, 1-7 AIA power point games, 1-2 region), who had also lost two straight to the Kings (10-8, 6-3, 2-1).

 Kofa starter Sergio Sanchez and Yuma starter Brock Jacobo were locked in a scoreless tie until the fourth inning, in which Yuma's Gibby Hemmer hit a one-out double into the left field gap. Poncho Gomez and Kyle Carbajal followed with walks to load the bases.

 But Sanchez (3-2) got Roman Morales to pop out, and put Stratton in a quick two-strike hole. But Sanchez missed on the next two pitches, and Stratton sent the ball flying over the left-center fence.

 "I was trying to hit the ball; put the ball in play," Stratton said. "I just  wanted to get a hit for our team; put us up."

 Yuma coach Judd Thrower said Stratton came up big.

 "That was the turning point in the game," Thrower said. "Alex came up, put two good swings on the pitches before that, got a pitch he liked and put it over the fence."

 Kofa coach Richy Leon said the Kings came out flat and said it would be "a shame" if the poor play was because of the Kings' recent success against the Criminals.

 "I don't think we were ready to play," Leon said. "I was disappointed in the way we came out. Offensively we didn't do what we were capable of doing. To me, it was lack of focus."

 Carbajal doubled home Hemmer in the fifth to open a five-run lead. Jacobo (3-1) ran into some trouble in sixth, giving up singles to Anthony Ortiz, Sanchez and Travis Carter before Mark Wright cleared the bases with a triple.

 Jacobo still shined, getting the side in order in the seventh. He allowed seven hits, walked none and struck out three.

 "Jacobo was awesome," Thrower said. "Jacobo pitched like the big gamer he is. He's come out every single time we needed him and pitched really well for us. Tonight, we put a lot on his shoulders, went through these first three innings scoreless and he didn't let them flinch."

 Thrower said Jacobo's most impressive was the first, when Ortiz ripped a double and got to third with one out. Jacobo struck out Jared Helms, then got cleanup hitter Tyler Owl to pop out to center, ending the threat and kicking off a stretch where he retired 15 of 17 Kofa batters.

 And thanks to Jacobo and Stratton, the six-game skid for the Criminals came to an end.

 "We've had a losing streak, and we wanted to come out and snap it," Stratton said. "We're going to try to keep it going and get rolling through region."

 The Criminals play three non-region games before playing the first of three games against Cibola starting April 8. Thrower said the win gives the Criminals something to build off of.

 "It shows our guys we can come out and play the right style of baseball," Thrower said. "It's the way we should be playing all year. Hopefully it's a momentum builder."

 Sanchez walked five and allowed four runs, all earned for Kofa, which also plays three non-region games before facing San Luis on April 8.

 Notes: Gomez singled home Luis Reyes in the seventh for a Yuma insurance run. Gomez was the only player for Yuma with a multihit effort. ... All three of Jacobo's strikeouts came with one out and Kofa with runners in scoring position.