By Don Ketchum

Scottsdale Chaparral scored seven runs in the third inning and went on to defeat Gilbert Perry 10-3 on Saturday night (May 14) to claim the Class 5A Division II state baseball championship at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

It was the seventh state championship in the school’s history, the first under new coach Sam Messina after the retirement of long-time coach Jerry Dawson.

Perry, the 12^th seed, took a 1-0 lead in the third, only to be buried under an avalanche of runs by No. 2 seed Chaparral in the third.

Nick DeRegis and Kyle Toth had two-run triples for the Firebirds in the inning. DeRegis also had a run-scoring single in a three-run sixth.

Left-hander Nick Diamond and right-hander Peter Lenstrohm combined to scatter seven hits for Chaparral, which finished 24-9. Perry finished with a 21-13 record.