Skyline's Eric Olson delivers strike three looking to end the Coyotes' 11-3 victory over Desert Ridge. (AzPreps365 photo)

Skyline did all the things necessary to advance to the 6A state baseball tournament Wednesday night. The #13 seeded Coyotes, hosting #20 Desert Ridge, scored in every inning but one. They put the heat on in the second inning rolling out a five spot. And when Desert Ridge threatened in several innings they managed to escape mostly pain free.

The end result was an 11-3 win at HoHoKam Park in one of eight play-in games contested in the conference. Senior Cole Yocum and junior Eric Olson combined to scatter seven hits and allow three runs. Olson finished it with the only 1-2-3 inning the Coyotes posted. Skyline also did not commit an error. Desert Ridge's season closes with a 13-16 record.

"Our guys played really well," Skyline coach Pat Herrera said. "Cole is a guy that ends up throwing a lot of pitches, but he fights through it like he did tonight. You learn to trust that. He did the job."

Yocum, who also led the Coyotes' 14-hit attack with three hits and two RBI from the leadoff spot, maxed out on pitches in the fifth. Olson pitched the final two innings. It's only in the past two games that Yocum has batted leadoff  and AJ Herrera dropped to the No. 2 hole. It's been effective getting the faster Yocum up top and something Pat Herrera is likely to stick with.

Skyline (19-9), like most other teams that prevailed Wednesday, will wait until Thursday afternoon to find out who they play in the first round of state come Saturday at the sites of the high seeds.  All the final 6A seedings and matchups will be revealed on the Bracket Show on AzPreps365.com via webcast at 2:30 p.m. 

Skyline scored a run in the first to take the lead on a sacrifice fly by Jan Rollon and then made it tough on Desert Ridge with its second-inning outburst. The Coyotes sent 11 batters to the plate and received RBI from Cole Lopez, Yocum and Kade York. Two of the runs in the frame scored on wild pitches.

Desert Ridge scored twice in the fourth to trim the lead to 7-2, but Skyline added a run in the third, one in the fifth and three more in the sixth to extinguish any chance at a comeback. Eight of Skyline's nine starters had at least one hit. AJ Herrera, York, Josh Gonzales and Lopez collected two hits each. York also had two RBI.

Matt Shaw was 3-3 with an RBI for Desert Ridge. The Jaguars had seven hits and received seven walks, but without a clutch hit managed to leave 11 runner on base.