Duncan welcomes Lordsburg on Tuesday

Tigers meet Wildkats in Duncan on Thursday

By Raymundo Frasquillo

DUNCAN – The Shane Dunagan-coached No. 11 Duncan Wildkats (4-4 seeding, 4.0801 rating) host the New Mexico Lordsburg Mavericks (6-5 overall) for a 4 p.m. start on Tuesday, April 7. It is one of seven regular-season games remaining, one of two non-region games, and one of two home games left.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Sierra Chamberlin (1) allows Valley Union junior base runner Kylee Gilbreth to take a lead as the pitch is delivered. Offensively, the Duncan senior drew three consecutive walks before flying out on her fourth at bat.

Remaining region contests are in Saint David on Thursday, April 9, in Elfrida versus Valley Union (April 14), in Fort Thomas (April 16), in Sells versus Baboquivari (April 24), and host Saint David (April 27).

Pima is the lone non-region pairing left (April 22).

This week (April 6-11):

This week in the 1A South Region, No. 13 Duncan (5-4 seeding, minus 3.7707 rating) hosts New Mexico Lordsburg on April 7; No. 18 Valley Union (2-3, minus 6.4194) hosts No. 21 Baboquivari (0-5, minus 15.2979) on April 8; No. 2 Saint David (8-1, 9.9862) visits Duncan, Valley Union hosts 2A No. 18 Pima (4-3, minus 0.4848), and No. 19 Fort Thomas (2-4, minus 7.3385) hosts No. 9 Winkelman Hayden (3-4, 0.8026) on April 9; and Fort Thomas hosts No. 1 Superior (9-0, 13.9003) for a double-header on April 10.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Emma Harris (2) eyes the catcher’s mitt as she delivers a pitch against Valley Union. The Duncan freshman struck out eight, walked 10, and yielded four hits while facing 34 batters during five innings.

New Mexico Lordsburg Mavericks (6-5 overall)

Lordsburg (6-5 overall, 7-2 seeding, 2-0 region) is averaging an 11-8 (118-89) score per game or a 3-run margin through 11 games.

The Rodney Plowman-coached Mavericks have regular season wins over Truth or Consequences Hot Springs (16-1 in 3 inn, March 17), Eunice (13-11, March 21), Navajo Pine (20-0, March 26), Tohatchi (19-10 in 5 inn, March 28), Safford (11-0 in 6 inn, March 17), San Miguel (21-0 in 4 inn, March 23), and Morenci (12-1 in 6 inn, March 26) along with a loss to Empire (0-1, March 13) and Tanque Verde (1-4, March 25).

In addition, the Mavericks went 1-1 during a tourney, downing Espanola McCurdy (16-0 in 4 inn, March 27) and falling to Jal (2-16, March 27).

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Dusty Rodriguez (3) awaits the throw to third for a pick-off attempt. The Duncan freshman singled twice in three at-bats, plus drew a base on balls and scored thrice against Valley Union.

A 13-member roster has a senior, a junior, three sophomores, a freshman, and seven eighth graders. The senior is Pam Salcido (21); junior Camela Navarez (16); sophomores Natalie Guerrero (5), Madie Heller (15), Anahi Rodriguez (11), freshman Julyssa Rodriguez (24); and eighth graders Anaissa Aguilera (6), Dani Esquivel (22), Mia Ford (1), Autumn Flores (3), Madi Mansfield (17), Journey Saucedo (2), Violet Nevarez (13).

Lordsburg is competing in the 4-member A/2A District 3 with the Capitan Tigers, the Las Cruces Mesilla Valley Christian SonBlazers, and the Mescalero Apache Chiefs.

No. 3 Saint David Tigers (7-1 seeding, 9.9163 rating)

Saint David (13-4 overall, 7-1 seeding, 2-0 region) is averaging a 15-4 (255-66) score per game or an 11-run margin through 17 games.

The Yogi Wilson-coached Tigers have seeding wins over Bisbee (15-1 in 5 inn, March 5), Tombstone (6-5, March 10), Benson (13-0 in 5 inn, March 13), Sells Baboquivari (24-0 in 3 inn, March 18), Fort Thomas (38-5 in 4 inn, March 25), Heber Mogollon (12-2 in 5 inn, March 27), Bagdad (20-0 in 4 inn, March 27), and Tucson Desert Christian (23-7 in 5 inn, April 6) along with a loss to Tucson Tanque Verde (0-9, March 31).

Additionally, the Tigers went 5-3 during the 2-day Douglas tourney. The wins were over Nogales (6-4, March 20), Tucson Rincon/University (7-4, March 20), Douglas (12-1, March 21), Tucson Flowing Wells (4-2 in 5 inn, March 21), and Casa Grande Vista Grande (13-3, March 21). The losses were to Douglas (2-3, March 20), Tucson Desert View (0-10 in 4 inn, March 21), and Desert View (0-10 in 6 inn, March 21).

A 19-member roster includes five seniors, five juniors, one sophomore, and four freshmen, and four unclassifieds. The seniors are Anna Daley (7), Paisley Gooding (3), Austyn Hatch (18), and Emelynn Jacquez (5), and Jasmine Wise (16); juniors Paige Evans (11), Emma Hart (1), Camber Jacquez (17), and Piper Merrill (2), Kaitlyn Patton (20); sophomore Zoe Cobb (14); freshmen Charli Jacquez (8), Mira Judd (12), Payten McWhorter (13), and Sophia Salinas (6); and unclassifieds Keira Dominguez (4), Lilly Garrett (15), Alyssa Stover (10), Aylin Valenzuela (9).

Saint David is competing in the 5-member 1A South Region with the Duncan Wildkats, the Elfrida Valley Union Blue Devils, the Fort Thomas Apaches, and the Sells Baboquivari Warriors.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Victoria Kelley just misses the ball. The Duncan freshman posted two strikeouts and scored twice on as many walks. As a team, the Wildkats struck out eight times, drew 16 walks, and had six hits.

No. 3 Duncan Wiidkats (7-1 seeding, 9.9163 rating)

Saint David (13-4 overall, 7-1 seeding, 2-0 region) is averaging a 15-4 (255-66) score per game or an 11-run margin through 17 games.

Saint David is competing in the 5-member 1A South Region with the Duncan Wildkats, the Elfrida Valley Union Blue Devils, the Fort Thomas Apaches, and the Sells Baboquivari Warriors.

1A State Rankings

The state rankings on April 7 had the Top 16 as Superior (9-0 seeding, 13.9003 rating) No. 1, Saint David (8-1, 9.9862) No. 2, Joseph City (5-3, 9.2225) No. 3, Williams (5-4, 7.8913) No. 4, Saint Michael (10-1, 7.8913) No. 5, Heber Mogollon (5-2, 5.3157) No. 6, Phoenix Great Hearts Anthem (5-2, 4.3247) No. 7, and Kearny Ray (6-2, 3.1590) No. 8.

Winkelman Hayden (3-4, 0.8026) was No. 9, Glendale Desert Heights Prep (4-2, 0.2255) No. 10, Salome (3-4, minus 1.4777) No. 11, Bagdad (2-6, minus 3.1224) No. 12, Duncan (5-4, minus 3.7707) No. 13, Phoenix Maryvale Prep (1-3, minus 5.0064) No. 14, Teec Nos Pos Red Mesa (3-4, minus 5.3869) No. 15, and Wellton Antelope Union (4-6, minus 5.4601) No. 16.

The initial state rankings on March 31 had the Top 16 as Saint David (7-0 seeding, 11.5280 rating) No. 1, Superior (5-0, 11.4889) No. 2, Joseph City (3-2, 7.4534) No. 3, Williams (4-4, 6.5808) No. 4, Saint Michael (6-1, 5.5015) No. 5, Mogollon (3-2, 5.3861) No. 6, Great Hearts Anthem (4-1, 5.3861) No. 7, and Hayden (3-2, 1.2114) No. 8.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Area umpire Art Gherna observes the play at home as Paisley Patton (14) crosses the plate. The Duncan junior scored three of the 21 runs and recorded a home run during her initial plate appearance.

Bagdad (2-3, minus 0.5650) was No. 9, Desert Heights Prep (3-2, 0.2408) No. 10, Ray (4-2, minus 0.2935) No. 11, Salome (2-3, minus 1.4776) No. 12, Maryvale Prep (1-1, minus 1.8545) No. 13, Duncan (4-3, minus 4.2171) No. 14, Antelope (4-6, minus 4.9363) No. 15, and Red Mesa (2-2, minus 5.1602) No. 16.

1A South Region Standings

The South Region standings on April 6 had Saint David (13-4 overall, 8-1 seeding, 2-0 region), Duncan (7-8, 5-4, 2-1), Valley Union (0-3*, 2-3, 2-1), Fort Thomas (12-4, 2-4, 2-2), and Sells Baboquivari (0-5, 0-5, 0-4).

Valley Union participated in its own 6-team, 1-day (March 7) tourney and the 52-team, 4-day (March 11-14) Tolleson Union tourney,

Duncan – 21, Valley Union – 10 (5 inn)

The East Region standings on April 1 had Miami (*6-5-1 overall, 6-4-1 seeding, 1-0 region), Pima (10-6, 4-3, 1-0), Chandler Prep (*2-5, 2-4, 0-1), San Carlos (1-5, 1-5, 0-0), and Gilbert Classical (1-5, 1-5, 0-1).