Errors cost Maricopa baseball in opening game of tourney

The old adage “When it rains, it pours,” seemed to fit the Maricopa High School baseball team on Thursday. Errors in the field and untimely hitting at the plate cost the host Rams, as they fell 7-5 to Eloy Santa Cruz in their first game of the Matt Huffman Tournament.

Maricopa miscues led to six of Santa Cruz’s runs, and Rams coach Charles Barbee didn’t mince words after the game.

“We stunk up the joint,” he said. “We got what we deserved. … We had been playing almost errorless ball. In two games, we’ve had like three errors or more; those games we’ve lost.”

The Rams (4-4) managed five hits in the five-inning game, shortened due the tournament’s 90-minute time limit, but they did draw seven walks and one hit batsman. But Barbee said his team just couldn’t come up with enough clutch hits when needed.

“We had guys on base with nobody out. We can’t produce,” he said. “We self-destructed.”

Stranding runners has become a troubling trend for Maricopa. “We’re averaging leaving seven men on base a game,” Barbee said. “We can’t do that, especially if it’s a five-inning game.

“Take half of those runs; we’re looking at three more runs and we win.”

Despite the overall showing, several Rams had decent performances. Julian Navarro went 2-for-3 and Armando Cano had a double and a single. Matt Clark pitched fairly well, allowing six hits and two walks while giving up just one earned run.

While not happy with his team’s performance, Barbee said he hoped his players could learn and benefit from the experience.

“I’m really glad we have this tournament and we’re facing this adversity, because it’s going to make us better for league play starting Tuesday,” he said.

Photo by David Argabright