Thatcher's Peeler's shutout performance sends team to quarterfinals

May 8, 2015 by Jose Garcia, AZPreps365


Thatcher’s Austin Peeler wanted the complete game playoff shutout, but an assistant coach came out in the seventh inning to pull Peeler out, or so he thought.

Trailing 6-0, Combs loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with no outs on a spring training field at the Surprise Sports Complex. The Thatcher assistant asked for the ball, but he was joking with Peeler to distract him and, more importantly, to calm him down.

The coach handed the ball back to Peeler, and the senior pitcher went to work, not allowing a run despite the jam to close out his pitching gem Friday and Combs.

Thatcher lived to play another day in the Division III state tournament with the 6-0 win that advanced the team to the quarterfinals.

“He (coach) was out here to break the ice and it worked,” Peeler said. “We got out of it.”

(Thatcher's Austin Peeler)

Other than the seventh and the fourth and fifth innings, when two men got on base in each inning, Peeler was on his game throughout the second round match-up against No. 7 seed Combs.

He was hitting his spots, changing speeds accordingly and his two-seam fastball was tailing really good inside. The senior scattered six singles for his fifth complete game performance of the year.

Thatcher, the 10th seed, held off Combs but did strand 12 runners, something it likely can’t afford to do again in Saturday’s quarterfinals at the Surprise Sports Complex. Another player who impressed Friday for Thatcher was Heath Motes, who continued to run around Arizona’s base baths at a rapid pace.

He entered Friday’s game ranked fourth nationally is stolen bases, according to maxpreps.com. The senior didn’t swipe a base against Combs, but he did hit two stand-up triples, going 3 for 4 and giving the scouts more to jot down.

Regional scouting directors from the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals attended Friday’s game to watch Motes. Tyler Adams (3 for 4, 4 RBIs) also had a good game for Thatcher.

Combs’ Josh McDevitt went 2 for 3.