Richard Smith

West Valley Preps

Top seed Mesa Mountain View and #5 Mountain Ridge will have a feeling of deja vu tonight at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Only this time, the Mountain Lions join the Toros in playing with the season on the line. The winner of this game will face the winner of the Mesa Skyline-O'Connor rematch earlier Saturday night in the 6A baseball state title game at 7 p.m. May 15 in the Tempe ballpark.

Mountain View (25-7) locked in the rematch early Friday night, erupting for a combined six runs in the second and third innings. The Toros held the Mountain Lions scoreless in the final six frames of their 7-1 victory.

Mountain Ridge (20-10-1) took a fleeting 1-0 lead when senior Jared Kampf's bloop somehow dropped between three Toros. Kampf took off for second and the throw rolled into the outfield. allowing Kampf to head to third.

That deficit only fueled the Mountain View bats. Junior Cam Jowaiszas drilled a ground rule double to the deepest part of center field to start the second. Junior Dallas Wise followed with a single and junior Tyler Barnes sent Jowaiszas home on a single to right.

Junior McKay Barney grounded out to the right spot for Barnes to come home. Mountain View's senior starter John Neely breezed through the bottom of the second and allowed the bats to stay hot.

Mountain Lions' sophomore catcher Ryan Ellis threw out the lead runner trying to steal second. However, senior Joe Georgini picked up a single on a grounder that took a sideways hop and senior Jared Thomas ripped a double down the third base line.

Wise walked to load the bases with two outs. And Barnes unloaded them on a three-run double in the left center power alley.

That ended junior Zach Martinez's night and senior Mitchael Dyer came on in relief.. Senior Erick Bahn greeted him with an RBI single to right, putting the game out of reach.

Dyer only threw 1 1/3 before giving way to senior Bryce Carpenter, putting Dyer in the mix going forward.

Mountain Lions ace Matthew Liberatore did not throw a pitch Friday and is, presumably, available Saturday.