3A BASEBALL: Boulder City wins twice to earn region title

After forging through the losers’ bracket to make the final day of the Class 3A Southern Region baseball tournament, Boulder City had the fortitude to battle through a little more adversity in Saturday’s finale at Tech.

Needing to win two games against Moapa Valley, the Eagles faced a 5-0 fourth-inning deficit in the first game before rallying to a 6-5 victory to force the deciding second game.

Boulder City then jumped out to a 5-2 first-inning lead in the second game, only to see the Pirates rally to tie the game in the top of the fourth, 6-6. But the Eagles responded one more time, scoring one in the bottom of the fourth, then sealing the deal with a three-run fifth to clinch a 10-7 win and the tournament title.

Boulder City coach Bobby Reese said the way the team rallied Saturday was similar to the way the team has overcome a slow start this season after winning the region and state titles last year.

“Our record was ugly but that was because we were playing up and trying to get kids better quicker than we normally would,” Reese said. “I’m very proud of them, because a lot of people wrote us off.”

In the second game, center fielder Teddy Lobkowicz put the Eagles (20-15) ahead for good in the fourth without the benefit of a hit. Lobkowicz reached first on an error, made it all the way to third on an errant pick-off throw, and scored on Kodey Rahr’s sacrifice fly to make it 7-6.

Boulder City added three in the third, with an RBI single by Lobkowicz capping the rally.

“We just do whatever it takes to win,” Lobkowicz said. “They stole a couple from us this year. So to take two back today, it means a lot.

“We are excited to get going to state. I wish the first game was right now.”

Nolan Herr took over on the mound in the fifth, and gave up just one run on one hit to earn the nine-out save,

“That was phenomenal,” Reese said.

The Eagles plated five runs in the first, but Moapa Valley (21-9) came back, as Anthony Cornwall homered and Daxton Longman scored on an error in the third to tie it at 5.

Noah Higgins tripled and scored on an error in the bottom of the third to put the Eagles back up 6-5, but Chase Guesman’s lead-off home run in the top of the fourth brought the Pirates even again.

Guesman finished 3-for-3 with two doubles and three runs scored, and Cornwall was 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs for the Pirates.

With region out of the way, the Eagles now get to return to state to defend their title.

“Now we will just work on playing some good baseball when we get there,” Reese said. “We are just going to try to play some good baseball and enjoy the great experience that the state tournament is.”

Boulder City 6, Moapa Valley 5 – The Eagles overcame a 5-0 deficit in Game 1 with a six-run outburst in the fifth inning to force the second game against the Pirates.

“We had our chances,” Reese said. “I just kept telling the kids ‘Sooner or later, averages are we are going to get that big hit and scoring some runs.’

“I didn’t expect to score six in one inning, but it worked out.”

D.J. Reese drove in the go-ahead run to cap the rally. Lobkowicz had a two-run single and Sean Jones doubled in a run for Boulder City.

Rhett Armstrong struck out seven in 5⅓ innings to earn the victory for the Eagles.

Guesman went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for Moapa Valley.