The stitches remained intact, although judging by the final score, one might have thought that Scottsdale Saguaro tore the cover off the baseball on Saturday (April 27).

The Sabercats collected just four hits against visiting Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain, but also got help from three walks, three hit batters and six errors to grind out a 10-2 victory in a first-round Division II game.

Now Saguaro (16-14), the 12^th seed, travels on Tuesday (April 30) to face No. 5 Phoenix Sunnyslope, the team that eliminated the Sabercats from the tournament last season in the semifinals on the way to capturing the championship.

Saguaro coach Ryan Dyer even remembers the date.

“May 10, 2012,’’ he said, without hesitation.

This Saguaro team, however, is much different than its predecessor. The Sabercats lost several players to graduation.

“We came into the season with 20 guys who were playing varsity ball for the first time. During the season, it seems like we had a different guy step up each day,’’ Dyer said.

The combination of youth and a tough schedule that included Scottsdale Desert Mountain, Peoria Sunrise Mountain, Gilbert, Phoenix Scottsdale Christian, Tucson, Chandler Seton Catholic, Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep and Fountain Hills also took their toll.

“It has been a grind all year,’’ Dyer said.

And it was a grind against Bradshaw Mountain, seeded No. 21.

Bradshaw Mountain (20-10) scored a run in the second inning, but Saguaro responded with two in its half. The second run scored on a delayed double steal, an early indication that the Sabercats would continue to force the issue. Three errors by the Bears also played a prominent role.

A bloop hit and two more Bradshaw Mountain errors led to two more Saguaro runs in the third.

Saguaro scored another run in the fourth on a walk, a passed ball and a throwing error. Two more runs went on the board in the fifth without a hit – two walks, a stolen base, a wild pitch and a balk.

Things got a bit testy after that with both teams exchanging words but no fisticuffs. One Bradshaw Mountain baserunner was ejected in the sixth for his physical play trying to break up a double play.

“That’s playoff baseball,’’ Dyer said. “They’re a good team, and I’m sure they were frustrated when they weren’t able to do much. I think the key for us was being able to execute in some tough spots.’’

The team’s goal, he said, was to survive the regular season, “then if we got into the playoffs, we thought we might be able to scare some people with what we are capable of. Our program has had success over the years, and I think we carry a lot of respect.’’

Before falling to Sunnyslope in last year’s tournament, the Sabercats won the state title in the old Class 4A Division I in 2010 and 2011.