Good pitching and the manufacturing of runs is the recipe that often works for Corona del Sol baseball. Prior to Wednesday' matchup with Division II Verrado, however, the Aztes had been pounding opponents into submission.

Their tried and true approach was at work this time as Corona bested Verrado, 5-2, at Corona del Sol in a matchup of teams playing quite well the first week of the season.

"Today was our worst game in terms of preparation," Corona del Sol coach Dave Webb said. "It seemed like we were pressing or something. It didn't feel like the other games we've played."

Bottom line is Corona stayed unbeaten and moved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in power-ranking games. The Aztecs opened the season Feb. 24 with the Adam Donnenfield Invitational and won all four games by scores of 6-3, 14-10, 9-6, and 7-0. Verrado made the long bus ride from Buckeye and fel to 5-2, 1-1 in power-ranking games. The Vipers were 4-1 at the Wayne DesCombes Invitational last weekend.

Pitching didn't show a lack of preparation or execution, for Corona certainly from starter Brandon Bracy. The junior left-hande pitched five shutout innings and struck out seven to improve to 2-0. He scattered four hits and struck out the first four batters of the game. 

After Bracy fanned the side in the top of the first, Corona got him a run in their first at-bat. Chase Hamilton poked a leadoff single, stole second and advanced to third on wild pitch. No. 2 hitter Ryan Novis delivered the first of his two RBi with a sacrifice fly.

Corona was poised for a huge inning in the second. Gehrig Sanchez opened with an infield hit, courtesy runner Jacob Goodwin stole second and senior leftfielder Liam Stills singled home Goodwint o make it 2-0. A wall and  fielder's choice on a bunt loaded the bases. Ninth-place hitter senior Josh Cuellar legged out another infield hit for a 3-0 edge with no outs. The inning ended rather abruptly as Hamilton flied out to right. Bad base-running and Verrado's execution turned ithe fly out into a triple play.

"That's something that can't happen," Webb said. "We realized after it happened the guys we had on base were former catchers and they haven't run the bases a lot. That's something we'll spend time on tomorrow."

Corona tacked on two runs in the fifth with Novis' single making it 4-0 and the fifth run scoring while a pickoff of the runner on first was taking place. Hamilton, the baserunner at third, scored an instant before Novis was tagged out between first and second.

Junior Zak Repar struggled in his two innings of work to close it our for Corona. He allowed both runs, a couple hits and three walks. Repak entered with room to manuever (5-0 lead, but surrendered a two-run homer in the sixth to Gabe Rios. In the seventh an error and two walks loaded the bases with two outs,. Repar got the final out on first-pitch foul out to first,