Desert Oasis baseball beats Liberty to secure 5A playoff spot

After getting shut out by Liberty on Tuesday, the Desert Oasis baseball team bounced back with an 11-4 victory Wednesday over the visiting Patriots.

With the win in the regular-season finale, the Diamondbacks secured the Desert League’s No. 2 seed in the 5A Southern Region playoffs, which start next week.

“All year, they’ve responded after we’ve lost games,” Desert Oasis coach Paul Buboltz said. “This is an experienced group of guys that are hungry, and they knew what was at stake today.”

The Diamondbacks (21-9-1, 6-4 Desert) didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard Wednesday. After Liberty (15-16, 5-5 Desert) jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Desert Oasis came out swinging.

Senior third baseman Brody Griffith got it started by driving home sophomore second baseman Jayson Marquez to tie the game. Then junior left fielder Ryan Roshak launched a fastball over the wall in right-center for a three-run homer, giving the Diamondbacks a lead they didn’t relinquish.

“That early momentum meant everything for the team,” Roshak said. “It takes a lot of pressure off the guys.”

The Desert Oasis bats made life easier for senior pitcher Crue Smith. After getting into early trouble, Smith kept a potent Patriots lineup at bay for most of the afternoon. The right-hander yielded four runs — one earned — on five hits and two walks while striking out three in 5⅓ innings.

“I think this win will boost our confidence and give us more motivation going into the playoffs,” Smith said.

The Diamondbacks continued to tack on early runs — three in the second inning, off a bases-loaded walk to senior center fielder Aidan Smith and two more on a single from senior designated hitter Ashton Kidd — to go up 7-1.

Liberty crept back into the game, thanks to solid relief pitching from senior Cayden Rodgers-Ramirez. The Patriots added two runs in the sixth, off RBI singles from Rodgers-Ramirez and senior Austin Pepe, to get within 8-4. But the Diamondbacks answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Marquez went 2-for-4, driving in a run and scoring twice. Desert Oasis batters drew seven walks, including two each by senior catcher Landon O’Dell and freshman right fielder Sebastian Mansell.

Junior center fielder Nevan Chandler led Liberty’s offense, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs.