Brophy Prep's Troy Weinstein earned MVP honors in the AZBCA Academic All-Star game (AzPreps365 photo)

The Academic South All-Stars flirted with a collective no-hiiter Saturday morning, but were content in the end with a 7-4 victory over the North in the first of five Arizona Baseball Coaches Association games this weekend at Goodyear Ball Park.

The South produced no-hit pitching for six innings and put the North in a hole early with a four-run outburst in the second inning that made it 5-0. Brophy Prep's Troy Weinstein delivered the game's biggest hit - a three-run triple in the second. Weinstein finished 3 for 3 with a first-inning single and a double in his final at-bat. For his effort at the plate Weinstein garnered most-valuable player honors. His hits were off three different pitchers.

Weinstein was satisfied with his day at the dish. He said one more at-bat for a shot at the cycle wouldn't have mattered.

"A home run wasn't going to happen," Weinstein modestly quipped.

Other offensive leaders for the South were Perry's Max Johansen 2 for 3 with RBI coming from Campo Verde's EJ Galvez, and Perry's Logan Schwenke.

Another contender for MVP honors was South teammate and Westwood pitcher Ryan Posthumus. Posthumus pitched the first three innings -- all scoreless with three walks.

Sunrise Mountain's Alec Myers, Basha's Gabe Garcia and Campo Verde's Jeremy Levine combined for three no-hit innings following Posthumus. The only run the quartet allowed through six innings came via a hit by pitch of Dobson's Ben Ferguson, a ground out and Ferguson's steal of third. The throw trying to nail Ferguson was wild allowing him to score in the fifth inning.

The North broke up the no-hit bid quickly in the seventh. Shadow Mountain's Ben Baron laced a solid double to left-center - the first of four hits in the inning leading to three runs. San Carlos' Michael Antonio singled in a run and Mesquite's Clay Thompson plated two with a triple.

Gilbert Christian's Nick Hershey awarded MVP trophy from 3A-1A South's 10-5 victory. (AzPreps365 photo)

3A-1A GAME

SOUTH 10, NORTH 5:  Gilbert Christian's Nick Hershey jump-started the South on the mound and at the plate helping lead them past the North in the second of three games at Goodyear Ball Park.

Hershey started on the hill for the South throwing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He got the offense roliing with an RBI double  in the third to highlight a three-run inning. The South never trailed in the game. Hershey added a second RBI with a ground out as part of a six-run, fourth inning.

The North pulled within 3-2 in the top of the fourth, on a pair of bases-loaded walks, but a disastrous bottom of the frame sunk hopes to stay close. 

Four pitchers followed Hershey and combined for nine strikeouts. Winning pitcher Alec Blakeman (Gilbert Christian) was 2 for 3 with an RBI and surrendered the only earned runs by the North in the fourth. Mario Mariscal (Hayden), Tyler Wiltshire (Sabino) and Richard Valenzuela (Ray) closed out the North.

Sabino's Antonio Fernandez was 1 for 3 and knocked in a pair of runs for the South. Northwest Christian's Dylan Smith drove in two runs for the North with a single in the eighth inning.

4A GAME

NORTH 9, SOUTH 6: The North ran up a 7-0 lead after three innings and outlasted the South in the final game of three Saturday at Goodyear Ball Park.

Sunrise Mountain pitcher Trevor Pruitt was selected MVP for the North for his work opening the game on the mound. Pruitt struck out five of seven hitters he faced in a two-inning stint. Pruitt went on two add two hits in four at bats, knocked in a run and stole a base. The game featured 23 hits between the teams and 30 strikeouts combined by the pitching staffs (North hitters fanned 17 times and South batters 13 times).

Sunrise Mountain's Trevor Pruitt keyed the 4A North's 9-6 win with five Ks in two innings work to nab MVP honors. (AzPreps365 photo) 

The primary offensive catalyst for the North was Greenway outfielder James Gamble. Gamble hit in the leadoff spot and collecte two hits, scored four times, had an RBI and stole two bases. He tripled to begin the game and scored on Seton Catholic's Mason Larusso's ground out. He dropped down a perfect bunt his second time up to drive in a run in a four-run, second inning rally. Flagstaff's Drew Healy also had hits in his first two at-bats, scoring one run and knocking in another.

The South's best inning was the fourth when it scored four times to draw within 7-4. Thunderbird's Jake Rohrer singled in a run, Nogales' Marcel Bachelier tripled in two more and Salpointe's Daniel Durazo completed the rally with an RBI.

Buckeye's JC Perez, Casa Grande's Ryland Wilcox and Coconino's Luke Nelson combined for four scoreless innings after Pruitt's stellar opening.