The Mesquite Wildcats sure like to live on the edge.
Earlier in the week the Wildcats escaped elimination by getting a walk-off win over the Red Mountain Mountain Lions. On Saturday again in an elimination game against the Desert Mountain Wolves from Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Mesquite get a walk-off a single, this time from Matt Waldren, eliminating the Wolves 4-3 in nine innings.
Mesquite jumped onto the board and carried a 2-0 lead all the way to the fourth inning, until Desert Mountain got themselves on the scoreboard with a solo home run off the bat of Ben Rodriguez.
Mesquite would create a little bit of breathing room in the bottom of the sixth. Senior clean-up hitter Jake Howard went deep for a solo blast of his own making it 3-1 heading in the final inning.
In their last hope to advance, Desert Mountain rose to the occasion getting two runs to force extra innings. The tying run, a RBI sac fly off the bat of David Greer scoring the man who drove in the first run, Drew McLaughlin.
After one and a half scoreless extra innings, Mesquite would show their late inning experience. Matt Waldren, who had been pinch hit for earlier in the game, got his chance to respond. Casey Howard, who just so happened to be the player who got the game winning hit earlier in the week, scored the game winning run.
These nail biting games are nothing Mesquite isn’t used to.
Mesquite moves on to play Hamilton from Phoenix Municipal Stadium at 6:30 on Tuesday.
For more Arizona High School baseball playoff coverage, follow Jared Cohen on Twitter @JaredPros2Preps.
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Jared Cohen
A born and bred Arizonan, Jared has had great passion for the hometown teams all his life. He now channel's that passion into covering the pro, college and high school teams around the state as a Multimedia Reporter for Sports360AZ.