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Ray’s Noah Warren (#18) picks his pitch. Photo by Kiana Dietz, SMHS
The Ray baseball team shook off a one-run 4-3 loss at St. Augustine last Tuesday by winning back-to-back games versus Pima and San Manuel last Thursday and Friday, respectively.
In the first of two lopsided wins last week, the Cats scored six runs in the third and 12 more in the fourth of an 18 – 6 victory against Pima on Mar. 9.
Six players drove in at least two runs versus the Roughriders, including Anthony Acuna and Jaden Pace, who had three each. Anthony Lopez, Brett Fackiner, Christian Day, and Richard Valenzuela had two RBI apiece.
Pace, a sophomore, went 5-for-5, including a triple. Lopez had two doubles and Noah Warren, who had three hits in the game, also tripled.
On the mound, starter Warren surrendered six runs, all of them unearned, on three hits with nine strikeouts and three walks to pick up the victory, his third of the year.
In a 13 – 2 win at San Manuel last Friday, the Cats hit three doubles and had four players with at least two RBI, including Warren (3), and Acuna, Fabian Valenzuela and Charlie Romero with two each.
Starting pitcher Richard Valenzuela went four innings, allowing two runs, both unearned, on three hits with nine strikeouts and a walk. Fabian Valenzuela tossed a hitless and scoreless inning in relief.
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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