Phillip Gibbs
For West Valley Preps

GOODYEAR - Disbelief may be the best word to sum up the Joy Christian baseball teams feelings after a heart-breaking 2A baseball semifinal loss to the No. 5 Wilcox Cowboys Friday evening.

Over the last four years the Eagles have built a well-respected program having moved one round closer to winning the state title each year. In 2013 they were bumped from the tournament in round two, the quarterfinals in 2014, and the semifinals in 2015. Last year they lost 9-6 in the championship game to Apache Junction.

This year at 29-1 coming into Friday's match-up, the Eagles cruised relatively unscaved through the season and first two rounds of the State 2A baseball tournament. They had tripled their opponents scoring output on the year but came up short in the single elimination tournament losing 5-4 and missing a chance to play in the title game in back-to-back seasons.

Expectations were, needless to say, high.

“When you have a baseball program in the valley expectations have to be high. We had plans to be playing tomorrow and get another shot at it. It just didn’t work out. Baseball’s that way sometimes,” said Joy Christian head coach Klent Corley.

Wilcox got on the board first early in the first inning bringing in a run off of Eagles senior pitcher Anthony Quattrocchi. Quattrocchi stayed on the mound through five innings, allowing four runs until he was relieved in the sixth by Zach Martinez.

The Eagles were able to match that Cowboys run making it a 1-1 game moving into the second inning. In that first inning Joy Christian was unable to bring in any more runs with two outs and bases loaded, their batter going down swinging.

As the game progressed into the bottom of the seventh Wilcox was up 5-4. The other semi-final match-up which was played only feet away across the sidewalk between No. 3 Scottsdale Christian and No. 2 Phoenix Christian had already finished, with Phoenix Christian coming out victorious.

With their game wrapped up the Phoenix Christian team and fans turned their attention to the tight matchup at hand between the Eagles and Cowboys. With no outs and a runner on first Joy Christian’s Nick Ayres smashed a line drive into center but Wilcox’s centerfielder made a play in center sticking the catch.

“They didn’t quit all the way down to two strikes and two outs they were fighting,” said Coach Corley.

With two outs and two strikes the game would end with a tag-out on a slide to third. The Eagles batter was unable to get much wood on the ball as it bounced in the infield for a routine play for the Cowboys.

It was an unceremonious and sudden ending to a season that definitely had plenty to celebrate. The Eagles will be losing three seniors and four-year starters — Quattrocchi, Rylan Collins and Joey Martinez.

“We wanted to win this for our seniors, but at the end of the day they are great men that have done great things for u and they’re going to do great things on and off the field. I’m very proud of them,” added coach Corley.