Ashley Stevens is a Master’s Student at ASU Cronkite School of Journalism assigned to cover Mountain Ridge High School for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX– The Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions came up two runs short of a comeback Thursday night at Alhambra, 6-4, in a valiant attempt to erase a four-run first inning deficit versus the last unbeaten squad in 6A.

Senior Caleb Bramlett got the start for the Mountain Lions against Alhambra. The left-hander only lasted 2.1 innings, giving up three hits and three walks before handing the ball to Jackson Forbes. The sophomore would close out the game for Mountain Ridge against the defending 6A state runners-up.

The normally solid Mountain Lion defense committed two costly errors in the first inning, gifting the Lions four runs on just two hits in the frame.

Marco Pacheco earned the win for Alhambra, striking out 12 in a complete-game effort, while managing to not give up a hit until the fourth inning. The junior right-hander retired the first nine Mountin Lion batters he faced in order.

“Give Pacheco a tip of the hat that he threw a really good game,” Mountain Ridge head coach Eddie Bonine said. “He competed his butt off. They obviously earned the victory. We helped them out there a little bit with some errors and realistically didn't compete at home plate with two strikes. So, a recipe for loss.”

Mountain Ridge managed just five hits—though three of them soared over the fence—and two walks versus Pacheco, and at times looked lackadaisical. The Mountain Lions struck out looking seven times, as Pacheo made the Mountain Ridge batters look uncomfortable at the plate. 

“We came in really relaxed, joking around when we're trying to absolutely beat the tail off somebody,” Forbes said. “We've been on a hot streak lately, hitting really well. That’s a bad way to come in and the results show.”

Mountain Ridge has been sitting comfortably at the number two spot behind Hamilton, the only team to have beaten it before Thursday, in the 6A rankings. Alhambra, though the last unbeaten in 6A, came in ranked 7th. 

The normally contagious-hitting lineup of Mountain Ridge failed to ignite any sort of rally until the sixth inning. Senior catcher Zach Yorke stepped up to the plate for his third at-bat of the game and sent Pacheco's offering over the right field fence to put a tally up on the board, making it 6-1.

The bomb off the bat of Yorke might as well have been an alarm clock for the sleeping offense. Ameer McGee led off the top of the seventh inning with a home run of his own, making the score 6-2. 

Senior outfielder Shaun Cottrell steps up to the plate before his two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning. Cottrell went 1-for-3 at the plate. (Ashley Stevens photo/ AZPreps 365)

Josh Wakefield followed McGee’s at-bat with a walk before senior outfielder Shaun Cottrell sent one deep himself for a two-run home run, cutting the deficit to 6-4. That's where the rally would end. Aj Singer and Forbes struck out in consecutive bats to end the game, giving Pacheco the victory. 

For Mountain Ridge junior infielder Cooper Neville, the loss meant that he'd be surrendering bragging rights to his great-uncle, who during the game sat in the home team's dugout. The elder Neville's name and picture hang on a banner in right field with other memorable Lions players and coaches. 

“It's a little weird," Neville said. "When he's not here, he's at my game. But I'm definitely hearing about it later.”

Neville, an important piece of the Mountain Ridge offense that tends to stay consistent through the lineup, went 0-for-3 at the plate with two strikeouts.

“I think it starts with pride,” the junior infielder emphasized. “I think we needed this because tomorrow, we're not just going to roll in as a top team. And if we don't get it all together, then that's going to happen again.”

“I'm not worried about our offense,” Bonine said. “Just how quickly they put up four right there just like that. We obviously just need to be a little bit more aggressive, attack early in the count and not get ourselves in two-strike counts.”

Mountain Ridge plays at home against rivals Sandra Day O’Connor Friday afternoon at 3:45 p.m. in Glendale. O’Connor is looking to avenge the first matchup of the series after a 10-5 Mountain Lion victory on their home turf.