Ron, San Luis top Kofa in playoff opener

A wrist injury kept Heriberto Ron from pitching San Luis into the playoffs.

It couldn't keep him from pitching the Sidewinders past Kofa in the playoffs.

Ron pitched a complete game, allowing just two earned runs and six hits through the first six innings of a 13-7 win over the fifth-seeded Kings in a Class 5A Division II first-round playoff game Saturday at Boemer Field.

Ron's injury kept him on the sidelines Wednesday as the No. 12 Sidewinders clinched a playoff berth, and he said he was motivated in his return against a potent Kofa offense that has scored 48 times in its last four games.

"I did struggle on the mound with my injury, but I came out great," said Ron, who finished allowing five earned runs, nine hits, three hit batters and one walk while striking out four. "It was hard (not pitching Wednesday) but I came out and did it today.  I've just attacked the zone (against Kofa). I just wipe out my mind and everything and concentrate."

With the win, the Sidewinders will face 13-seed Mountain View in the second round at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Papago Baseball Complex in Phoenix. The Kings will travel to face four-seed Desert Ridge in a losers'-bracket game Tuesday at 4 p.m.

The Sidewinders exploded for six off Kofa starter Preston Burrell in the third to put the game out of reach at 8-3. Edgar Juarez, who went 3-for-4 from his No. 9 spot in the lineup, had a two-run double in the inning. Alvaro Palomares and Alberto Vizcarra also had run-scoring hits in the inning.

San Luis finished the game with 16 hits, including at least one by every starter.

"I expected them to put the ball in play, but what they did from one through nine, it was - they did it at the right time is all I can say," San Luis coach Cesar Castillo said. "If they continue to play like this, hopefully we can be where we want to be at the end."

The Sidewinders struck first with a two-run second, highlighted by a Ramon Vazquez RBI double and a Juan Martinez run-scoring single. Kofa took the lead in the bottom of the frame with three runs, tying the game on a Justin Gorman single and took the lead when Anthony Ortiz's groudner to short scored a run.

Kofa scored two unearned runs in the fourth to cut the lead to 8-5, but San Luis struck again for five in the sixth, highlighted by Joel Gamez's two-run double.  

Kofa had taken two of three from the Sidewinders during region play, losing only the game Ron pitched.

"I think the biggest factor was Ron," Kofa coach Leon said. "I think he executed very well, stayed down in the zone and got ahead in the count. We got seven runs off him, we'll take that any day off a guy like that, but they did better offensively, too."

Burrell (5-4) allowed 10 runs, nine earned, on 13 hits in five-plus innings of worked. He gave up three straight hits to start the sixth and was chased by Gamez's double.

"They were rolling, they got contagious, and they started believing," Leon said. "They did what they did with some bad pitches up in the zone, but they hit some good pitches also. It's one of those days where things don't go your way, but we get to fight another round."

Kofa trailed 13-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh when mark Wright led off the inning with a double. The next two batters made outs, but the Kings started a two-out rally when Tyler Owl, who signed a letter of intent to play at Cal-State San Bernadino this week, singled home Wright. After Sergio Sanchez was hit by a pitch, Enrique Roldan singled home Owl, then Gorman walked to load the bases.

When Anthony Ortiz followed by hitting the ball into the gap between first and second, it seemed the Kings rally was in full gear. But Alvaro Palomares made a diving stop on the ball and threw the leadoff hitter out at first.

"We knew what to expect since we had an opportunity to go over the book," Castillo said. "(Ron) did well keeping (Thomas Villarreal, Wright) in check. Even (Ortiz) when he hit the ball hard, but he had an idea to keep him off-balance. Even on the last AB, we positioned where we thought he would hit it, and our guy made a play."

And not having to travel out to Phoenix for a 11 a.m. game helped a great deal as well, Castillo said.

"It could have been worse," Castillo said. 'We could have had to have gotten up at 6, been on the road for 3, 3 hours, and gotten off the bus with no BP. We actually were able to hit on our own field, and I think it was to our own advantage.

"I'm not saying we got lucky that we're (12); I think we're a better team than (12)," he said. "But being able to hit on our field in the morning ... makes a difference in how fresh you are and how upbeat you are, and they were upbeat the whole game."