The National Division Championship was played this afternoon between O’Connor (AZ) and tournament host Boulder Creek (AZ).  The schools are just 12 miles from each other, an easy 15-minute drive on the I-17.  Both teams had participated in both weeks of the event posting a combined record of 17-1, 9-1 (Boulder Creek,) and 8-0 (O’Connor) respectively.  Both teams featured promising young prospects, many of which have made commitments to division 1 programs.

To add to the excitement of this championship, these two teams are known to have a rivalry between each other, each game being a “Battle of the Bell”.  There is a large bell that is passed to the winner of each game of the rivalry, the last of which belonging to Boulder Creek.

Scoring opened up in the bottom of the first for Boulder Creek.  San Diego State signee, Mitchell Allen, drove in Texas Christian University commit Colby Boulware on a well hit ball to left field, once again showing off Allen’s pure strength off the barrel.  The lead did not last long for Boulder Creek.  Sophomore  and University of Arizona commit, Nolan Gorman, destroyed a pitch recorded 92 mph off the bat into the right-center field gap for a leadoff double.  He then tagged up to third base off a deep fly ball to center field from Trey Patnoe.  First basemen Ryan Alexander then drove Gorman in on a groundball to the second basemen.

Boulder Creek followed up with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second, two scoring off an error and one by an RBI single from junior outfielder Carter Lay.  O’Connor then brought in Brandon Moore who was able to get out of the inning without surrendering anymore damage by getting a shallow fly out to right field followed by a slick 5-4-3 double play keeping the score at 4-1.

Nico Burgarello belted his first home run of the season over the right field fence in the third, turning on an inside fastball bringing the score 4-2 in the top of the third.  He later flashed some leather in the bottom of the inning making a diving stop at shortstop before proceeding to throw out Allen at first, showing off his quick-twitch athleticism.  O’Connor pressured in the fourth, starting at the hands of Nolan Gorman once again, taking a fastball up and away into the left-center gap for his second double of the day.  Gorman then scored after a hard hit ball on the infield was booted into left field bringing the score 4-3.  The lead didn’t last much longer than that.  After a clean play and throw to home, the ball somehow made its way out of the catcher’s glove on the tag tying the game at 4.  A wild pitch then brought in senior Keegan McCarville giving O’Connor a one run lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Carter Lay drove a ball into the left-center field gap for his second hit of the day.  Zach Baptist then turned on a pitch, lacing a double to left field tying the game.  After an O’Connor error, and runners on the corner, a wild pitch brought in Baptist from third base giving Boulder Creek the lead at 6-5.

Top of the six led off with a Keegan McCarville single through the right side who later stole second base.  A Max Peters walk lead Nico Burgarello to the plate, who continued his fantastic day smashing a double down the right field line.   Neither team could string any runs together for the rest of the inning.

With the score tied in the top of the seventh, a couple hit by pitches and a walk loaded the bases with two outs for O’Connor, bringing arguably the hottest hitter in the lineup, Burgarello, to the plate.  Burgarello pounded a ball back up the middle just far enough out of Boulware’s reach for him not to have a play on it bringing the score 7-6.  O’Connor was able to drive in two more runs, one coming off of a Bailin Markridge RBI single to right-field.

The score was 9-6 going into the bottom of the seventh.  Making his third appearance of the week, Dawson McCarville came into the game in a save opportunity.  Boulder Creek was not going out without a fight, however.  Baptist led off with a leadoff walk and pinch hitter, Eddie Dopkowski, smashed a hard ground ball at the shortstop, who couldn’t quite come up with it cleanly.  Tyler Larson then hit a single to left field loading the bases for Boulder Creek with just one out.  McCarville picked it up a couple notches, possibly adrenaline induced, showing more life on his fastball than he had all week.  McCarville pounded the bottom of the zone getting a well hit ground ball at third basemen, Gorman, for a 5-4-3 double play ending the game.

The two teams will meet again for “Battle of the Bell” once again on April 20^th, a 3:45pm start at Sandra Day O’Connor High School.  Both teams played extremely well throughout the past two weeks and are very well coached.  All the players handle themselves with class on the field and are fierce competitors.  If one is looking for a pair of teams to watch in Arizona, these two teams bring the type of intensity that make the game extremely enjoyable to watch.  Expect a lot of success from both Boulder Creek and O’Connor the rest of the season.