YC ousts Bourgade

The Yuma Catholic baseball team wanted to make a statement against Bourgade Catholic on Saturday, facing the team that has eliminated them the last two seasons.

Also, the Shamrocks wanted to show they deserved higher than the No. 8 seed they earned in the postseason despite not losing to a 2A team all year.

Mission accomplished on both fronts.

The Shamrocks routed the Golden Eagles 12-2 in five innings on Friday, earning a trip to the quarterfinals to face either No. 1 Willcox or No. 17 Williams at 7 p.m. today in Peoria.

“We came out ready to play,” coach Curt Foppe said. “We wanted to open some eyes, and I think we did, but it's only one game. We'll celebrate it for a couple hours then have to come back ready to play (today).”

Matt Koppinger went the distance for the Shamrocks, allowing seven hits and an unearned run while striking out four. Wade McBride went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, while Bobby Lee had three hits and drove in two. Koppinger added two hits and two RBIs.

Foppe said he hasn't decided on today's starter, though has it narrowed down to Lee or Brendon Evans — who scored the final run of the game on a walkoff single by Brady Sorenson.

PREP SOFTBALL

San Pasqual bows out

The San Pasqual softball team was knocked out of the 1A state playoffs on Friday by virtue of its 18-0 loss to Tucson-St. Augustine, the No. 1 seed from 1A south.

The Warriors, who entered as the No. 4 seed in the 1A west, couldn't keep up with St. Augustine's pitcher, but coach Shonti Land still praised his players.

“We're just trying to teach kids how to play softball the right way,” Land said. “I'm really, really proud of them because they're starting to learn.”

Land said he was pleased with his players' ability to learn the nuances of the game as the season went on and that he would love an opportunity to continue coaching the group next year. He will also get a chance to coach some Warriors this summer along with other area players, as he enters another season of coaching the Desert Diamonds, a local traveling outfit.

But if Land comes back to San Pasqual next year, he won't have the services of departing senior slugger Janequa Mills.