BASEBALL: Legacy’s LeCates shines for Sunset in All-Star victory

Legacy shortstop Hayden LeCates didn’t play on a premier team this season. The Longhorns won six games and missed the playoffs.

But the junior showed he belonged with Southern Nevada’s best Wednesday.

LeCates went 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Sunset to an 11-7 win over the Sunrise in the Division I All-Star Game at the College of Southern Nevada’s Morse Stadium.

“It feels pretty nice, actually, because we’re usually on the other end,” LeCates said of Legacy. “And it felt nice to score some runs, have good pitching, good defense.”

LeCates singled in his first at-bat in the bottom of the fifth inning, then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Legacy teammate Nick DeLuca in the seventh and give the Sunset an 8-7 lead. The Sunset scored three more runs in the inning to pull away.

“I thought I was going to be nobody,” LeCates said. “Just get a hit, maybe. It feels really good. I was expecting to play second base later in the game. I wasn’t expecting to do this well at the plate.”

Arbor View’s Nick Quintana hit a solo home run to left field in the second inning to tie the game at 1. The junior also drew a bases-loaded walk in the third as the Sunset used a six-run inning to grab a 7-1 lead.

“It was my first at-bat since state, so I thought I would get a fastball,” Quintana said. “Not trying to be too picky. I saw a good fastball and tried to put a good swing on it. When I came back, they all went behind the dugout and I was cheering on my own. But it was cool because it definitely got the team going a little bit.”

Liberty’s Justin Lutes helped the Sunrise cut into the lead in the sixth inning with an RBI double that scored Patriots teammate Jacob Klein. Lutes then came around to score from second base on two wild pitches to make it 7-3.

The Sunrise rallied to tie the game with a four-run seventh inning. Basic’s Tanner Roundy hit a sacrifice fly, and Green Valley’s A.J. Amelburu, Las Vegas High’s Antonio Gaxiola and Silverado’s Mitchell Ballard each added RBI singles.

The Sunset answered with four runs in the bottom of the seventh before Cimarron-Memorial’s Tyler Giovinco and Gorman’s Jack Little each threw a scoreless inning of relief to secure the Sunset victory.

“It’s fun because I’ve played with all these guys before,” Little said. “It’s good to come back and have a good time with all of them. There’s no pressure. You’re just here to have a good time.”

Amelburu finished 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, a run and an RBI for the Sunrise.

DIVISION I-A

Sunrise 7, Sunset 7 — Boulder City junior Peyton Koopman hit a three-run home run to left-center field in the bottom of the seventh inning as the game ended in a tie.

Boulder City’s Preston Van Diest and Moapa Valley’s Chaz Cornwall each singled to set up Koopman’s one-out blast for the Sunrise, which trailed 7-4 after the top of the seventh.

Van Diest finished 2-for-2 with a stolen base and a run, and Cornwall was 2-for-3 with two runs. Boulder City’s Steve Wagner and Chaparral’s Mark O’Connor and Tyler Crone each struck out three for the Sunrise.

Sierra Vista’s Jared Gonzalez had a two-run double, and Spring Valley’s Bryce Bullock was 1-for-2 with a run and two RBIs to lead the Sunset. Mojave’s Liam Harris added an RBI triple, and Pahrump Valley’s Drew Walker had a double.

Contact reporter Ashton Ferguson at aferguson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0430. Follow him on Twitter: @af_ferguson.