Mission accomplished: NM Pack captures 15U D-Backs tourney

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – What a difference a year makes.

The NM Pack Maroon team found out firsthand how much it’s grown since coming up short at last year’s D-backs Inter-Tribal Youth Baseball Tournament.

Throughout the four-day tournament, the NM Pack went 5-0 with three of those wins being lopsided under longtime coach Patrick Aspaas.

The Aspaas-coached team defeated the NM Pueblo Warriors, 11-0, scorched the Chinle Windtalkers, 14-2, and run-ruled the Phoenix Pride by a 10-0 count.

The NM Pack received its lone stiff test from the NM Sundevils in its opening game.

“We were up 2-0 for most of the game, but we made some mistakes toward the end,” Aspaas said. “They were up 3-2 when we got our last at-bats. Our catcher, Zach Jojola, ended up hitting a triple and the next batter, Joe Lucero, scored him with a walk-off hit.”

The San Juan County team scored a come-from-behind 4-3 victory.

“That was a revenge game for us because they knocked us out of the bracket last year,” the NM Pack coach added. “We figured that was going to be a tough game, so the kids really wanted that one.”

During its inaugural run in the 15U division last year, the Kirtland-based team took third place after a 9-8 loss to the New Mexico Sundevils in the semifinals. In that contest the Sundevils rallied from an 8-4 deficit to score the walk-off win, which left the NM Pack team stunned.

This past weekend the same Pack team, with a year’s experience captured the Double-A Division tournament title with an 8-5 win over the AZ Heat at the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale. The contest was called after the top of the sixth inning due to the 1.5-hour time limit.

“We talked to the kids before the championship game and they really wanted this, especially with what happened last year,” said Aspaas, whose team will move up to the Triple A Division next year. “I mean, the kids were focused and determined. We had some mishaps here and there, but we cleaned it up. The boys were patient at the plate and when we made contact, we made sure we put the ball in play.”

The Pack team outhit the AZ Heat 9-7, with MVP Eliyas Bradley-Barton leading the way by going 3-for-3 with three singles and two RBIs. Centerfielder Jett Daniels had two singles and second baseman Kale Loretto added a double.

“We scattered some hits and we put some runners on,” Aspaas said. “We put some pressure on them by being aggressive on the bases. We just put the ball in play to where we scored some runs.”

Bradley-Barton, who pitched all six innings, opened with a shaky first. He had some trouble hitting his spots, walking AZ Heat leadoff hitter Jacinto Espinoza to open the game.

Espinosa was replaced with courtesy runner Josh Moreno. He advanced to third base thanks to back-to-back singles from Ruben McElroy and Uriah Pedro.

Moreno scored on a passed ball and on that very same pitch, McElroy was tagged out at home plate by Bradley-Barton.

The NM Pack pitcher settled down after that, retiring the next two batters as AZ Heat led 1-0 after one inning of play. The eventual champions found some life in the bottom of the second frame with four hits. Daniels and Bradley-Barton led off the inning with a pair of singles, with the latter scoring Daniels to tie the score at 1-1.

The AZ Heat’s Espinosa retired the next two batters, but consecutive RBI singles from Jonah John and Nathaniel Aguilar gave the Pack a 3-1 cushion.

Aguilar later scored on a passed ball for a 4-1 advantage before Espinosa retired the next NM Pack batter.

The Aspaas-coached team went back to work in the next frame, highlighted by an RBI single from Bradley-Barton and a two-run single from Zachary Jojola for a 7-1 advantage.

The NM Pack added an insurance run in the fourth with Loretto, who nailed a double to center field, scoring on a passed ball.

In the top of the sixth, Bradley-Barton allowed six hits and four runs as the AZ Heat threatened to erase the 8-1 advantage. Espinoza led off the inning with a single. Two batters later, Pedro hit a fly ball to left field for a run-scoring triple. A one-out single from Hendrix Sneezy drove in Pedro as the AZ Heat pulled within 8-3.

After Bradley-Barton recorded his sixth strikeout, the AZ Heat put two runners on with Abel Valenzuela and Ethan Garcia hitting back-to-back singles. The two runners scored thanks to a line drive from Glorgio Moreno that cut NM Pack’s lead to 8-5.

The Pack, however, closed out the game with Bradley-Barton striking out Robert Murillo for the final out with one runner in scoring position at third.

Bradley-Barton allowed nine hits and five runs with three earned. Through six innings of work he fanned seven and walked two.

For the AZ Heat, the 14U group utilized three pitchers with Jacinto pitching the first two. The righty gave up four runs (three earned) on four hits while striking out three and walking one and was tagged with the loss.

Nathan Valenzuela came on in relief and pitched one inning while giving up three runs on three hits. He was then relieved by Garcia, gave up one unearned run on two hits.

“I thought Eliyas pitched a good game for us,” Aspaas said. “He’s got good control. He caught a lot of those guys off-guard when he got those strikeouts. But the AZ Heat started to put the ball in play. I have to give them props because they also had some good pitchers throwing, too.”

Bradley-Barton credited his team for backing him up, especially late in the game.

“I’m proud of all of us,” the 15 year-old said. “It took a team effort to win this. You know, we all deserve this because I think we all played well. Our bats were awake, and our pitching was good.

“The defense had our backs all the way around,” he added. “I just think our hitting carried us throughout this tournament.”

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