Campo Verde baseball coach Shawn Dukes had plenty of traffic pass his way last season as he coached third base when the Coyotes hit. Last year's squad possessed some power, popping 25 home runs as a team on the way to a 22-7 record in Division II.

The long ball has been very limited this season, but it was in the arsenal Wednesday afternoon in a huge way. Brendon Rush smacked a three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning giving Campo Verde a 5-2 victory over Division I Mesquite at Mesquite High.

"We had a lot of power last year, but this year we've been more of a small-ball team," Dukes said. "We haven't hit many home runs, but that one was a big one."

Rush's homer came on a 1-1 pitch and was jerked about 10 feet fair down the left-field line off Mesquite reliever Josh Webster. It was the only the fourth home run Campo Verde has clouted this season. The homer was the third of three, two-out hits in the eighth. It also made a winner of the team's ace, right-hander Jordan Schiefer, who improved to 4-0 with a complete game. The win pushed Campo Verde's record to 15-2 overall and 5-1 in power-ranking games. The Coyotes extended their winning streak to 10 games. Mesquite fell to 7-8 overall and is 3-2 in power-ranking games.

Another thank you should go out to Campo Verde center fielder Erik Hildebrandt. Hildebrandt made it possible for Campo to have an eighth inning. Mesquite's first two batters in the last of the seventh reached on a walk and bunt single. One out later, Mesquite's Alex Murietta laced a screamer to the gap in left-center. Hildebrandt  laid out and made the catch that in all likelihood would have ended the game.

Mesquite jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Wildcats collected three hits off Schiefer with Carson Burton and Webster knocking in runs with a triple and single, respectively. Meanwhile Mesquite starter Cobe Karhoff didn't allow his first hit until two out in the fourth. Karhoff managed to go six innings and allowed four hits without giving up a run.

Webster came on in the seventh to try and close the game for Mesquite, but an infield hit and error put Campo Verde in business. Jake Burns followed with a game-tying double to right, but was over-aggressive making the turn at second and was thrown out. Webster got the next two outs and the game eventually went to extra innings.