Baseball: Horizon captures section title, tops Brophy

April 28, 2015 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Horizon's and Brophy Prep's playoff spots were not in doubt prior to playing Tuesday night, but their contest still meant something. That something was a section title to the winner and Horizon was the team that prevailed posting a 12-8 victory in the Division I regular-season finale for both teams at Brophy.

Horizon (22-5 overall, 16-2 power-ranking games) scored in every inning and never trailed. Brophy (17-9, 12-6 prg) kept pressure on throughout to prevent a blowout. Horizon third baseman Matt Kroon led the way with three hits, including a pair of home runs. Kroon also scored four times. He homered to right in the second inning and blasted his second to left in the seventh inning.

Horizon teammates Evan Williams and Andrew Donovan also collected three hits each. Donovan drove in two runs as did Danny Berger. Horizon totaled 16 hits off three Brophy pitchers. Horizon shared the pitching chores among Chris Isbell, Williams and Nick Berger. Isbell worked the first three allowing two earned runs and left with an 8-4 lead.

Brophy had the hitting star of the game -- Kevin Hunley. Hunley slammed a pair of home runs and a single and knocked in five runs. His two-run homer in the second inning briefly tied the game at 4. His second homer came in the sixth.

Horizon entered play in at No. 5 in the D-I power rankings and Brophy was No. 11. Gilbert (2), Mesquite (3), Liberty (4) Horizon (5) and Valley Vista (6) were tightly packed in the No. 2 through 6 spots on Tuesday.

There's likely some shuffling of those spots coming Thursday when the state tournament qualifiers and brackets are announced for all divisions in baseball and softball. Mesquite beat Gilbert, 5-1, on Tuesday and Valley Vista topped Deer Valley, 8-0. Liberty plays North Canyon and Valley Vista takes on Sunnyslope in their final regular season games on Wednesday.

A team trying to nab the final D-I playoff spot (No. 24) -- Mountain Pointe -- kept its hopes alive Tuesday with a 1-0 victory over Desert Ridge in nine innings. Cooper Davis drove in the run with a two-out single in the top of the ninth. Mountain Pointe escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the ninth. Mountain Pointe, 9-9 in power-ranking games, was No. 25 when play began Tuesday.

 

.