Baseball: Joy Christian, Buckeye prepare for Round 2

May 7, 2016 by Jose Garcia, AZPreps365


Their second and final round of the 2015-16 season is set for Joy Christian and Buckeye.

Each team defeated their Division IV tournament baseball opponent Saturday at Goodyear Recreational Complex to set up a rematch of their regular season match-up won by Joy Christian in the 8th inning in walk off fashion. The setting for their rematch, the state semifinals, befits their meeting since they are two of the top-4 teams this season in D-IV.

“They (Buckeye) play hard and get after it,” said Joy Christian coach Klent Corley after his team’s 3-0 state quarterfinal victory over Pueblo. “They play aggressively.”

Florence, which lost 9-3 to Buckeye Saturday, experienced first-hand just how aggressive Buckeye is.

Randen Garrison and J.C. Perez combined for a 7 for 11 outing and five runs for Buckeye, which saw starting pitching, Jair Galvan, toss a complete game and allow just four hits. Joy Christian’s starting pitcher, Anthony Quattrocchi, also stood out.

The junior right-handed pitcher struck out 10 and gave up just two hits in his complete game performance. He also knocked in two runs from his cleanup spot.

Quattrocchi wears his heart on his sleeve. He tapped the left side of his chest often Saturday after completing each inning on the mound.

“Just straight emotion,” Qauttrocchi said. "No disrespect at all.”

There’s a lot of movement in Quattrocchi’s pitches, which led to a handful of ground balls. Also, for the first time this season his change up was working against left-handed hitters, he said.

“He was as composed as I’ve ever seen him,” Corley said.   

(Joy Christian's Anthony Quattrocchi)