By Don Ketchum

Call it a sweet sweep.

Capped by a 5-1 victory in the Class 4A Division I game on Saturday night (June 4), the South All-Stars swept all four games in the weekend Arizona Baseball Coaches Association series against the North at Surprise Stadium – Class 5A divisions I and II and Class 4A divisions I and II.

The 4A-I game might have been best-pitched of the group, especially in the early going.

The game was scoreless through the first three innings before the South scored twice in the fourth on a groundout by Tempe McClintock’s Matt Schneider and a base hit by Tucson Canyon del Oro’s Ruben Rivera.

The South added single runs in the fifth and seventh innings on wild pitches and another in the eighth on a single by Queen Creek’s Spencer Kottcamp.

The South used five pitchers and gave up just two hits on the night.

Leading the way was right-hander Ethan Roseback of Vail Cienega.

The right-hander pitched two perfect innings in the seventh and eighth, striking out the side in the seventh, to earn the game’s Most Valuable Player award.

Both coaches were creative with their batting orders – inserting replacements out of turn – but it didn’t seem to matter. A good time was had by all – all of the South players and their fans, that is.