Maryvale spoils Trevor Browne's championship plans, Senior Night

April 19, 2024 by Jose Garcia, AZPreps365


Friday's victory over rival Trevor Browne was oh so sweet for the Maryvale Panthers. (Jose Garcia/azpreps365)

The Trevor Browne Bruins were two outs from a region title.

But leave it to the Maryvale Panthers, the longtime crosstown rivals of the Bruins, to crash the party.

Despite a 9-11 record, the visiting Panthers also have region title aspirations and proved it during their final at bats Friday while trailing 5-2. Maryvale scored seven runs in the top of the seventh to win 9-7, spoil Trevor Browne’s Senior Night and set up Monday’s final regular season showdown between the teams.

Both programs are 8-1 in the Metro Region, so Monday’s winner goes home with the region crown and bragging rights.

“The girls are full of confidence now,” Maryvale’s first-year coach Mario Lopez said. “So they understand, win or lose, it’s just a game. But they do want that championship.”

Both teams’ lineups executed with two outs early in the game, when it was tied 2-2.

Trevor Browne went up 5-2 thanks to an RBI sacrifice fly by Biryiana Cervantes, a Janelli Saldana run after a single by Shayla Munoz in the fifth inning and an RBI single by Cervantes in the sixth.

Munoz, the Bruins’ starting pitcher, had retired nine batters in a row heading into the sixth. But that’s when leadoff hitter Faridi Nicol Morales (3-for-5) had an RBI single for the Bruins.

In the seventh inning, however, is when the Panthers really took over, scoring six runs on five hits. Gloria Puerta and Andrea Lares Lopez also each had three hits for the winning team.

Junior cleanup hitter Shyla Vasquez went 3-for-4, with two doubles, for Trevor Browne (16-7-1). 

“When you get in position to play in a championship game,” Trevor Browne’s first-year coach Bobby Pacheco said, “that’s when they have to understand that they have to go play. I’ve been there a couple of times myself. It was really nice, and you’re really happy, because they are peaking, and then all of a sudden a big game like this comes up.”

Neither of the Metro Region rivals will likely reach the playoffs this season.

But expect a state championship effort from both squads come Monday.

“This rivalry is crazy,” said Trevor Browne catcher Marianna Jennings.

“It’s going to be a really good game on Monday.”

Trevor Browne will get another chance Monday to win a region title as well as avenge Friday's loss to Maryvale. (Jose Garcia/azpreps365)