Desert Vista Defeats Millennium in Extra-Inning Thriller

The Desert Vista Thunder need 11 innings (4 extras) to take down the Millennium Tigers 7-6 in a game with multiple clutch moments. 

Even though this game would eventually be one of the best games of the season, both sides struggled to get the offense going early.

At the end of the first inning, neither team could get a runner on second, and the score would be tied at zero. 

The Tigers would be the ones to get on the board as they were able to gain momentum at the top of the second inning. 

At the beginning of the second inning, Millennium outfielder Xavier Candelaria got on base with a single. 

Having help behind, Millennium sophomore first baseman Chase Fillman smashed a ball into center field for a two-run homer. 

Millennium held an early 2-0 lead. 

The Thunder finally answered in the third inning. 

Desert Vista junior Jace Leahy hit a single and stole a base to get to second in the third inning. 

Leahy would end up being brought home by Desert Vista sophomore Camden Hosna, who hit an RBI double. 

Tying the game up in the next inning, Desert Vista was able to capitalize on Millennium's errors. 

Desert Vista junior Seth Skinner would hit a ball threw the bases to get on first. 

However, during the next at-bat, Skinner would steal second, and the Tigers misfired on multiple throws, which allowed Skinner to run all the way home for a run.

It wouldn’t take long for Millennium to regain its lead. 

In the fifth inning, the Tigers took their lead back as Millennium senior centerfielder Brady Perrin hit a ball to deep center field for an RBI double. 

Scoring the run was Millennium junior second baseman Cy Buchberger. 

The sixth inning didn’t see any action from either team, but when the seventh inning came, chaos ensued. 

Millennium looked to close out the game. 

Getting on base again was Buchberger, along with Millennium junior Ty Burson, who were respectively at first and second. 

Just like he did in the fifth inning, Perrin would hit another double that allowed Burson and Buchberger to score runs. 

Heading into the bottom of the seventh Millennium held a 5-2 lead and were about to go home with a win if they could close it out on defense. 

It would be foolish to count the Thunder out, though, as they proved to be a legit contender in 6A.

Starting the comeback were Desert Vista juniors Hudson Droz and Hagen Haefs, who each hit a single to begin the seventh inning. 

Next up to bat was Desert Vista sophomore Camden Hosna, who would close the gap on Millennium. 

Hosna would launch a ball to right field through a gap to get a two-run RBI double to allow Droz and Haefs to score. 

Desert Vista now only trailed by one run. 

Sending the game to extra innings was Desert Vista senior Luke Hutton, who hit an RBI single to get one runner home. 

The Thunder would almost win in the seventh inning as Hutton almost got one more runner to score, but he was ruled out at home plate as Millennium sophomore catcher Peyton Burgess got the out. 

Desert Vista head coach Patrick Herrera noted his team was able to stick with it even when they trailed late. 

“Our guys stuck with it,” Herrera said. “We were down three, and our guys just fought. They did it, put some runners on, and that’s what we do.” 

The game was now set for extra innings. 

At the top of the eighth, Millennium struggled to get any solid contact on the ball.

That was due to Desert Vista sophomore pitcher Anthony Solis having two strikeouts in the inning. 

At the bottom of the eight it looked as though the Thunder would win it right there. 

One point during the inning, the bases were fully loaded for Desert Vista, and they just needed one base hit to seal the game. 

The Tigers would keep fighting, however, as Perrin, who already had a great day with the bat, would step in as a pitcher and get crucial outs. 

The contest would go to a ninth and 10th inning; however, the exhaustion and elite pitching by both sides set in, and neither team could gain momentum. 

Many teams may have been frustrated at this point, but Desert Vista knew to stick to the process. 

“Our bench was fantastic, they didn’t let the starters get down at all,” Herrera said. “We call it the process; they just stuck to the process.” 

In the 11th inning is where the exciting game would come to a close. 

Millennium was able to gain its third lead of the game at the top of the 11th. 

Burgess hit an RBI single that sent Fillman to home plate and gave the Tigers a chance to finish the game.

Even though they trailed in the 11th, Desert Vista would find a way to dig deep and put together another clutch inning. 

For Desert Vista, they would be able to get a runner in scoring position. 

Desert Vista freshman Mason De Vries and Honsa both got on base to put the pressure back on Millennium. 

This time, however, the Thunder would be able to seal the game. 

Desert Vista junior Anthony Renda would step up to bat and drill a ball to deep left field to get De Vries and Honsa in for runs. 

Renda even admitted that he wasn’t seeing the ball well all game, but he came through when his team needed him the most. 

“The whole game I wasn’t seeing the ball well,” Renda said. “The last at bat, I took two low, and it helped me see the ball well. Then I saw a pitch I liked and hit it for a walkoff.”

After 11 innings, Desert Vista would come out on top. 

Now on a three-game winning streak with two being over region rival Millennium, the Thunder have to get ready to play a tough Brophy squad.

“We’re gonna enjoy it (the win) but reload,” Herrera said. “We have to go to number one Brophy on Friday; this region is ridiculous. Come back tomorrow at practice and get after it.” 

Next up: 13-2 Desert Vista will look to continue its winning streak when it faces 11-1 Brophy on Friday. On Friday, 9-6 Millennium will look to get back in the win column when they take on 5-8 Mountain Ridge.

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