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

SCOTTSDALE – The Chaparral Firebird bats caught fire in the second inning of play, creating an early 6-0 lead before sending the Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions home with a 7-5 loss on Friday.

Chaparral, in its last home game of the regular season, celebrated senior night accordingly. Eight of the nine starters treaded the field for their last hurrah of the regular season before playoffs begin. The senior-heavy lineup for the Firebirds came fired up with the 6A Desert Valley Region title in their grasp.

Senior first baseman Aidan Young plated Jackson Babione and Colin Christensen for the first two runs of the second inning with a double to left center field. Young and Slader Spoor were then brought home by senior Ethan Hott, who singled to right center field. Senior Jackson Estes continued the rally by bringing home Hott and Andrew Mings, who reached base on a hit-by-pitch. The Firebirds batted around the lineup in the second inning before senior Mountain Ridge catcher Zach Yorke threw out Estes at third on an attempted steal.

After putting away the first three batters of the game, sophomore Mountain Lion hurler Smith Bailey lost control of his pitches entering the second inning and allowed seven runs on six hits in three and two-thirds innings pitched.

Mountain Ridge head coach Eddie Bonine kept Bailey in up until the fourth inning with bases loaded.

“I just couldn't keep the ball down,” Bailey said of his outing. “I left it up a few times, that's what scored the runs. If I kept the ball down, it would have been a different game.

After Chaparral batted through their lineup in the second, Bailey struck out two hitters in the third, only allowing four Firebirds into the batter's box.

After Bailey retired the first two Firebird hitters in the fourth, the top of Chaparral’s lineup threatened once again, with Hott taking first base on a walk and stealing second base. That allowed Estes to drive him home on an RBI single to left field.

“He's proven that he will make an adjustment and he went out the next inning and got the ball down, got his off speed in the zone,” Bonine said. “He's one of our guys. That happens. I like to give those guys a chance to get back out there and get a zero on the board.”

Bailey will get a chance to flush the start out of his system on a cross-country flight before Bonine rotates through his bullpen for the last regular season game of the year on Monday. 

“Tomorrow I have a flight out to South Carolina to see my brother throw,” Bailey said. 

Bailey’s older brother, Gray Bailey, is the reigning 2021 Region Player of the Year after posting a perfect 9-0 record during his last season for the Mountain Lions. The elder Bailey now pitches for the University of Texas-Arlington, who will be facing off against Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

Senior left hander Josh Wakefield threw an impressive two and one-third innings in relief of Bailey, allowing no hits and no runs, striking out four, and walking three. Before taking the mound, the senior had words of encouragement for the sophomore. 

“I said, 'My bad' to the whole team, but he just said keep your head high,” Bailey said. “All of them just keep a positive attitude for me even after a bad start.”

Junior Cannon Peery (#20) steps up to the batters box in the top of the 7th inning during a timeout called on the field. Peery would plate Aj Singer from third on a sacrifice fly to right field. (Ashley Stevens photo/ AZPreps 365)Senior shortstop Aj Singer went 1-for-4, his only hit of the night coming in the third inning with an RBI double that was inches away from clearing the fence. Senior outfielder Ameer McGee, who went 2-for-3 with singles in the fourth and sixth innings and a stolen base, had the only multi-hit game for the Mountain Lions. Cooper Neville sent a two-run shot over the center field fence, scoring Jackson Forbes, closing the gap to 6-3 in the top of the fourth. 

“I was really late on the fastball and he threw me a changeup and I was right on time, so I did what I could with it,” Neville said. “I think we got humbled a little bit now. We can expect to work hard and expect to show some grit (next game).”

The Mountain Lions made a push in the last inning, plating two. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Cannon Peery scored Singer from third, and an RBI single from Jackson Forbes on a line drive to right field scored Zach Yorke to make it 7-5. Neville struck out to give the Chaparral Firebirds the win and an 8-1 record in the region. 

The Mountain Lions will take a shot at redemption against Chaparral at home on Monday for senior day in Glendale. Chaparral needs a sweep of the series to clinch the region, while Mountain Ridge looks to bounce back before playoffs begin next Saturday.