Win propels Gaels into Western Region Tournament

Green Valley may own the last six 4A high school baseball titles, but when it comes to summer, Bishop Gorman has become something of a dynasty in its own right.

For the third time in four years, the Gaels will represent Nevada in the Western Region Tournament, which begins next Thursday in Las Cruces, N.M.

Gorman (45-12), which entered the state tournament as the No. 2 seed, finished an undefeated run through the event with a decisive, 14-6 victory over top-seeded Durango (62-23) on Wednesday at UNLV's Wilson Stadium.

"We've established ourselves as a powerhouse in American Legion baseball," Gaels coach Tim Chambers said. "We really wanted a high school championship, but this adds some sugar to it."

Gorman will open regional play against Hawaiian club West Oahu, three years after losing in the Region 8 final to a team from the Hawaiian islands. If the Gaels can emerge from the eight-team tournament, they will return to Las Vegas for the Legion World Series the following week.

"We have a good club with a deep pitching staff," said first baseman Ryan Lee, who was named tournament MVP after going 11-for-23 with seven RBI, three doubles and two homers. "Hopefully, it will propel us to the World Series."

Early on, the championship was a tight affair, with right-handers Nate Fouts (Gorman) and Scott Yahraus (Durango) limiting the opposition to three runs apiece through five innings.

But in the top of the sixth, Chambers' club blew the game open, pushing seven runs across the plate to open a 10-3 lead.

"I said to the guys, 'We've got to put together a big inning," Chambers said. "We knew we needed to get a little separation from them to win."

Nino Mantico (4-for-6) got things started in the frame with a leadoff single. Brandon Boesch walked and Joe Cannella singled to load the bases. Justin Sibley then slapped a base hit to left field to send Mantico home and put Gorman ahead for good.

After Ben Quinto was hit by a pitch to force home a run, a Nick Didier single brought home Cannella and Sibley to open the floodgates. Didier scored moments later on a wild pitch, Cooper Fouts plated a run with a sacrifice fly and Mantico singled for the second time in the inning for the final tally.

Fouts, who was pitching on just three days rest, cruised into the eighth inning before Durango finally got something going offensively.

But a solo homer by Brian Bryant and a two-run shot by Chris Bannister was all the Trailblazers would get before Gorman reliever Paul Wurts retired five of the six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth.

The Gaels added an insurance run in the seventh and three more in the ninth, but they would prove unnecessary, as slick-fielding shortstop Ben Quinto assisted on the game's final three outs to put Durango away.

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