With six wins, Tucson Amphitheater has almost matched last season's win total and it has the Panther faithful believing they can make a playoff run this year in Division III. It's been five years since they have played in the postseason and second-year head coach David Humphreys likes what he sees so far especially after his squad run-ruled El Paso Parkland 13-3 on Friday afternoon.

"We have a lot of seniors who have been with the program and they have a lot of pride," Humphreys explained. "They are staying disciplined and are enjoying playing the right way and we also have some new guys and they are learning what it takes to get us there."

Amphi went 3-2 and took second place at the preseason Safford Invitational and are now 3-0 at their own Panther Invite, featuring defending Division III state champion Tucson Palo Verde and defending Division IV state champion Tucson Desert Christian along with teams from Texas and California.

The Panthers scored four runs in the bottom of the first against Parkland, two in the second, four more in the fifth and three in the sixth for the 13-3 win. Ariel Ochoa paced the team early with two doubles and three RBIs while Ivan Denogean held a no-hitter until Parkland came up with a double with two outs in the third.

Denogean would finish with six strike outs before he was replaced by Michael Delgado in the fifth.

Down 6-0, Parkland scored two in the fourth and one more in the fifth to cut the lead down to 6-3 but that's as close as they could get.

Going down the batting order for Amphi, Manny Murillo went 2-2 with a double and three RBIs; Denogean went 2-3 with an RBI; Ochoa went 2-4 with his two doubles and three RBIs; Irving Borboa went 2-4 with an RBI; Rafael Elias went 3-4 with an RBI and Devon Pilgrim went 2-3 with a double and an RBI.

Parkland's Kelvin Resendiz went 2-3 with a double ad an RBI. Alonso Ortega took the mound for Parkland and Jeremiah Wilkins relieved him in the fourth.

Amphitheater won the 5A championship in 1980 under Paul Gabaldon..

 

Group A

Tucson Amphitheater

Tucson Palo Verde

El Paso Parkland

Sahuarita Walden Grove

Snowflake

 

Group B

Tucson Flowing Wells

Tucson Desert Christian

Douglas

El Paso Riverside

Yuma Cibola

 

AT AMPHITHEATER

Wednesday, Mar. 4

Walden Grove 7, Palo Verde 2

Amphitheater 18, Palo Verde 0

Thursday, Mar. 5

Walden Grove 9, Parkland 3

Amphitheater 12, Snowflake 4

Friday, Mar. 6

Snowflake 11, Parkland 2

Snowflake 17, Palo Verde 6

Amphitheater 13, Parkland 3

Walden Grove 6, Amphitheater 1

Saturday, Mar. 7

8:00 AM Game 16 Parkland v. Palo Verde

11:00 AM Game 18 Snowflake v. Walden Grove

5:00 PM Game 21 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

 

AT FLOWING WELLS

Wednesday, Mar. 4

Desert Christian 4, Flowing Wells 1

Thursday, Mar. 5

Douglas 8, Riverside 6

Desert Christian 6, Cibola 3

Friday, Mar. 6

Cibola 7, Riverside 6

Desert Christian 5, Douglas 3

Douglas v. Cibola

Flowing Wells v. Riverside

Saturday, Mar. 7

8:00 AM Game 17 Desert Christian v. Riverside

11:00 AM Game 19 Cibola v. Flowing Wells

2:00 PM Game 20 Douglas v. Flowing Wells