3A state baseball

Payson nips Chinle, 3-2

SURPRISE, Ariz.

Chinle Wildcats senior right hand pitcher Erick Skinner was on top of his game, throwing heat up to 85-miles per hour with his fast ball.

Skinner was cruising when he began to max out on the pitch count. In the bottom half of the sixth inning with two outs, Skinner reached 109 pitches and was replaced on the mound.

“He (Erick Skinner) pretty much shut Payson down, allowing only three hits, seven strike outs and two unearned runs,” Chinle head coach Don Kimbrough said. “Pretty much nobody from Payson could connect on Erick the whole game. He was on and cruising.”

It was a costly error in the first inning that produced two unearned runs for Payson. Chinle battled back in the fourth inning to tie game, 2-2.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Payson’s David Card singled into left field, driving home Efrain-Analla Medina with the game-winning run for a 3-2 Longhorn Sweet 16 state tournament victory.
Payson advanced to the Elite Eight, where the Longhorns stopped the Snowflake Lobos, 12-2. Payson moves on to the Final Four this Friday, facing the Safford Bulldogs. The 3A State Championship game is set for Saturday at Surprise Stadium.

Kimbrough said the Wildcats played up to their expectations.

“Overall, I was impressed with our team’s performance,” Kimbrough said. “We outhit Payson, 10 to 5. We made more defensive plays, including an exceptional third base to first base to third base double play. Our pitching was exceptional, allowing a total of five hits. Our teamwork was awesome. Player support of each other was exceptional. Our team is a unit.”

Kimbrough said going into the game, if the Wildcats played its normal game, they could beat anyone.

“A culmination of what we have been working towards,” he said. “Especially the team supporting each other. Interestingly it was cool how the teamwork peaked for this playoff. As coaches we were impressed and proud of our team.”

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