By John Alvarado

After losing back-to-back games in a tournament, Brophy’s baseball team (8-8) returned home Tuesday and beat Sunrise Mountain High School 6-4.

A seventh inning walk-off grand slam helped the Brophy Broncos clinch the victory after being down 4-0 to the Sunrise Mountain Mustangs (10-6-1). After being shut out in the first six innings, the Broncos began their comeback with a single by first basemen Teo Fritzke.

Fritzke later scored Brophy’s first run after a Ryan Velez single. After the Mustangs made a pitching change and Brophy added another run and runner on base, reliever Nick Brauns walked center fielder Jacob Talamante and shortstop Mitchell Anderson.

Then, with the bases loaded and facing a 1-1 count, Brophy third basemen Chad McClanahan (3 for 5) capped the comeback with the grand slam.

Considering the up-and-downs his team faced last week in Horizon’s tournament, Brophy head coach Tom Succow said the grand slam came at a good time.

“We were behind all game long,” Succow said “These guys kept battling.”

Brophy’s Jeff Rula allowed his team to stay in the game with his performance on the mound.

Rula faced 28 batters and permitted only seven hits and three runs in five innings. He said that he felt good on the mound, was able to locate his fastball and keep Mustang hitters off balance in the first three innings.

As for giving up runs in the fourth and fifth innings, Rula said that he left some of his pitches in the middle of the plate.

The Broncos’ comeback overshadowed the great pitching performance of the Mustangs’ Timothy Mendez, who didn’t allow a run after facing the first 24 batters.

With his pitch count at 103, Mustangs head coach Eric Gardner pulled Mendez in the seventh inning.

“We still value our kids’ arms at the end of the year,” Gardner said.

The Mustangs’ head coach also said that he has confidence in Brauns, his senior reliever.

“The reality is (Brauns) walked a couple guys and set the table for their best hitter (McClanahan),” Gardner.

Even in a loss, the coach said that he believes Mendez is one of the state’s best players. He proved it so during six dominant innings.

“He (Mendez) is very methodical in the way he pitches,” said Gardner, who also said that Mendez’s ERA is under 2. “I would give him the ball anytime.”

Up next for Brophy is a 7 p.m. Wednesday game (March 23) at Horizon. 

John Alvarado is a sports journalism student at Arizona State and covers Brophy for school credit.