(GOODYEAR, Ariz.) Fourth-ranked Gilbert Christian extended its historic run in the 2024 AIA 3A Baseball Championships, defeating No. 1 Valley Christian 10-9 in extra innings to force a series tie-breaker. No other team in the program's history has won a state semifinal contest. The Knights were led offensively by freshman Micky Moran, who was 3-for-3 at the plate, with four runs batted in.
Moran also drew a pair of timely walks in the affair.
Junior Caleb Johnson collected the huge win on the mound, pitching three innings in relief for GCHS. Johnson struck out four and retired key batters under intense pressure, down the stretch for the Knights.
Gilbert Christian found itself in a 3-0 hole early, but chipped away at the Trojans' lead with a run in the second and a score in the third to cut the margin to 3-2. The fourth was a stalemate, but Valley put together a big fifth, scoring three runs to extend its advantage to 6-2.
The Knights, refusing to go down without a fight, responded with two in the bottom of the inning, courtesy of a Micky Moran single, to keep the game within reach.
The momentum took a big swing in the sixth, as Johnson and the GCHS defense shut the Trojans down to make way for the Knights' offense.
All cylinders began firing as junior Sam Webb drew a walk with one out to set the stage for a cold Tyler Burr double to the right-side gap. Senior Jeremy Kuiper was next in the order, and Valley resolved to load the bases, rather than give the 3A South Central Player of the Year a try. The decision couldn't have been any easy one, considering that freshman Dane Coyle and sophomore Nate Nielsen were due at the plate for the Knights.
Coyle took it personally, looking relaxed as he put the bat on the ball, scoring Webb on a fielder's choice, before Nielsen proved a point of his own, collecting a single up the middle to bring Burr around, and putting runners on first and third for senior captain Tyler Steil. Steil, whose traveling fan club filled half of the stands, connected, hitting a ball to short to bring Coyle across home plate, and Moran subsequently knocked one into center to collect the inning's final two rbi.
The 9-6 lead was short-lived, as the top-ranked Trojans put together a three-run seventh to tie the ballgame at 9-all, retiring three-straight Knights to bring Johnson back to the mound.
Johnson tossed a smart inning, and Gilbert Christian stepped up its defense, getting a quick ground out, a fielder's choice and another ground out to bring about the bottom of the eighth.
With one out on the non-existent scoreboard, Steil put the ball in play again, singling to short for the Knights. Moran used a keen eye to reach base on balls, and sophomore Zack Linker grounded out to advance both runners. Junior Brody Aubut approached the plate, ready to do his job, but ended up watching in amazement as a wild pitch snuck by the Trojans' catcher. Aubut gave a frenzied motion, signaling for Steil to head in, and Steil slid into home to end the game in favor of the Knights.
The dugout cleared almost as quickly as Steil ran, and the celebration began.
Steil finished the game with a pair of singles, an rbi and three runs scored. He also walked once for GCHS. Coyle matched Steil's numbers, minus the walk, while Aubut, Linker and Nielsen compiled the team's remaining hits and rbis.
The final game of the semifinal series is scheduled for Saturday, May 11th at 6:00pm. It will be played at the Goodyear Baseball Complex – South, the home of Reds' spring training.
-GO KNIGHTS-
