By Don Ketchum

It was a baseball game fitting for the top two teams in Division II power points.

Peoria Sunrise Mountain, No. 1 to start this week, vs. No. 2 Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep.

Host Sunrise Mountain survived on Thursday (April 19), but not by much.

After Notre Dame grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, Sunrise Mountain came back with two runs of its own in the bottom half and made them hold up for a 2-1 victory.

Sunrise Mountain raised its record to 21-5, while Notre Dame fell to 15-12.

The sunny afternoon featured a top-notch duel between two right-handed pitchers.

Sunrise Mountain’s Brick Peskiewicz gave up four hits and struck out eight. Notre Dame’s Kelvan Pilot gave up six hits and struck out five.

“It was a well-played game on both sides,’’ said Sunrise Mountain coach Eric Gardner. “I think both guys (pitchers) got better as the game went on.’’

He said Pilot was so good that “he forced us to make things happen, move guys (baserunners) around.’’

In the third, that included a walk to leadoff man Elijah Castro, a stolen base, a run-scoring single by Peskiewicz and a sacrifice fly to center field by Nick White.

Notre Dame had taken its 1-0 lead when Daniel Ziemann led off the third with a walk, was sacrificed to second by Duncan Morfitt, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a single by Sam Griffen.

The Saints nearly tied it back up in the sixth when Sam Young hit a two-out triple over the right fielder’s head, but he remained stranded after Peskiewicz maintained his composure and got the next man on the first pitch.

Peskiewicz had success painting the corners for much of the game.

“That’s Brick . . . he runs the ball in and out, keeps guys on their toes,’’ Gardner said.

Games like this one will help his team stay competitive when it reaches the state tournament, he said.