Game 1: Redhawks Dominate in 25-13 Victory

Benedictine Mesa delivered a dominant offensive performance, overwhelming Park-Gilbert 25-13 in a high-scoring showdown.

Park-Gilbert struck first, taking a 3-0 lead through the first two innings. Je. Leckey walked in a run in the first, followed by RBI hits from A. Allanson and D. Bejarano in the second. The Redhawks responded in the third with an A. Larson solo home run and a J. Bauler sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

The fourth inning was an offensive explosion for Benedictine. S. Ruchala crushed a three-run homer to take the lead, and from there, the floodgates opened. J. Cosenza reached on an error to bring in another run, followed by a J. Bauler RBI single. Then, A. Fernandez launched a grand slam, extending the lead to 11-3. The Redhawks kept piling on, with C. Parra adding a two-run double, J. Cosenza and B. Schnuman delivering RBI hits, and Fernandez smashing his second home run of the inning—a three-run blast—to cap a monstrous 13-run frame, making it 18-3.

Park-Gilbert's Je. Leckey homered in the fifth, but Benedictine answered with a J. Sullivan two-run homer to extend the lead to 20-4. Sullivan added another two-run shot in the seventh, followed by a T. Jackson homer to make it 24-4.

Despite a late push from Park-Gilbert, which scored eight runs in the final two innings, Benedictine remained in control. Sullivan's solo shot in the eighth sealed the deal, as the Redhawks secured a commanding 25-13 win.

Game 2: Late Surge Lifts Benedictine Mesa to 7-4 Victory

Benedictine Mesa completed the sweep with a 7-4 win, fueled by a decisive sixth-inning rally.

The Redhawks took an early 1-0 lead in the second when J. Romero singled in S. Ruchala. Park-Gilbert tied the game in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk that scored E. Valk.

Benedictine responded with a dominant bottom half of the inning. Ruchala delivered the game's biggest hit, a bases-clearing triple that drove in J. Bauler, B. Schnuman, and P. Vine-Clos (unearned), putting the Redhawks ahead 4-1. A. Fernandez reached on an error, allowing Ruchala to score, and T. Jackson followed with an RBI double. J. Sullivan capped off the inning with another double, making it 7-1.

Park-Gilbert attempted a comeback in the seventh when A. Allanson tripled in three runs, cutting the deficit to 7-4, but Benedictine's defense shut down any further rally to secure the win.

Key Players:

• Jude Sullivan – 3 runs, 4 hits, 3 home runs, 6 RBIs

• AJ Fernandez – 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 home runs, 8 RBIs

• Samuel Ruchala – 6 hits, 6 runs, 1 triple, 1 home run, 6 RBIs

Looking Ahead:

The Redhawks return to action on Saturday, March 22, as they take on Park-Gilbert at home.