Eagles earn 1st  state win
by Jason Stone

DVUSD – Chalk one up for the history books for the Sandra Day O’Connor baseball team. The Eagles earned their first‑ever state tournament win April 30 with a 9‑6 victory over Desert Ridge in the first round of the 5A‑Division II state tournament.

The Eagles (18‑14) turned a close game in the sixth into a rout with a six‑run inning.

Designated hitter Taylor Ermisch started the burst with a leadoff double, then scored off a single by Cliff Shepard. Derek Blackwell drove in a run with a single before two runs scored when Brian Burnett’s sacrifice bunt attempt turned into a two‑base error.

Brian Carr’s RBI single increased the lead to 5‑2. Adrian Ramirez’s two‑run homer provided the final blow.

Starting pitcher Josh Moody pitched five innings and left the game with an 8‑2 lead. Nick Carillo came into the game to earn the save after Desert Ridge had scored four seventh‑inning runs to tighten the game.

The win put the Eagles into a winner’s bracket game against No. 2‑seed Paradise Valley May 2, but results were unavailable at press time. Had the Eagles lost, however, they would still be alive in the double‑elimination tournament. A loss would force a loser’s bracket game May 4, but a win would keep the Eagles off until May 6.