Mesquite pitcher Davis Heller is all smiles after 2-hit, shutout vs. Queen Creek. (AzPreps365 phot

Mesquite pitcher Davis Heller said he was embarrassed.

Embarrassed because he followed up a no-hitter against Campo Verde in his final start of the regular season with a playoff clunker last week in the 5A state tournament against Queen Creek.

Heller worked only two innings in that loss to Queen Creek, an 11-1, five-inning contest that put the Wildcats on the verge of elimination as the No. 1 seed. 

A week later Heller and his teammates celebrated an about-face with Heller leading the way. Heller fashioned a five-inning shutout in a rematch with Queen Creek on Monday night and rocked a three-run homer in the first inning for good measure in the Wildcats' 10-0 victory over the Bulldogs in an elimination game at Diablo Stadium.

Mesquite (28-5) advances to the semifinals on Thursday against #4 Liberty, who is unbeaten thus far in the tournament, at 6:30 p.m. at Diablo Stadium. Mesquite must beat Liberty Thursday and again Saturday to qualify for the title game on Tuesday May 15. Queen Creek finished 21-9.

"Davis felt he let his teammates down and all he wanted was to get the ball today," Mesquite coach Jeff Holland said. "He didn't have to ask for it.  He was going to get the ball.

"He pitched like a man on a mission. The last outing was just one of those games. You have to remember it was only his third outing of the year (coming back from a broken bone in his non-pitching hand)."

Heller's line in the April 30 outing vs. Queen Creek was two innings pitched, three hits, four walks and six strikeouts. The stat line in the rematch -- five innings, two infield hits allowed, three walks and seven strikeouts. Heller actually began his atonement in Mesquite's first elimination game last Thursday in a 3-1 win over Chaparral. He didn't pitch, but his leadoff home run in the fiffh inning of the game tied the game at 1 and touched off a three-run, game-winning rally.

Queen Creek's starter on Monday was Colton Cassinelli, the winner of the 11-1 game for the Bulldogs. This time Cassinelli endured the rough night. Cassinelli lasted two innings, surrendering four hits, two walks and five runs.

Mesquite added another run in the second and packed the game away in the third with a five-run outburst. The cap to the inning was a three-run double by leadoff hitter Holden Breeze, who finished the night with four RBI.

Breeze and No. 2 hitter Grant Gorrell combined to reach base in five of six plate appearances and Breeze's out was a sacrifice fly in the second inning.

Queen Creek's only hits belonged to Cassinelli - a chopper to third in the third inning he beat out and a dribbler to second in the fifth that resulted in no play at first.

#6 NOTRE DAME PREP 11, #3 FLOWING WELLS 5: The Saints (20-11) scored in every inning but one and used 12 hits and eight walks to sudbue the Caballeros in an elimination game at Diablo Stadium. Notre Dame advances to the semifinals on Thursday and will face Verrado at 4 p.m. at Diablo Stadium. Notre Dame must beat Verrado twice to advance to the title game on Tuesday May 15.

Notre Dame cleanup hitter James Rosenhagen enjoyed the big day at the plate going 2 for 4 and driving in four runs.. Rosenhagen slugged a three-run homer in the first and added a sacrifice fly in the second.  Ben Nemivant added three hits and Tyler Cranston was 2 for 4 with a  pair of RBI.

Jarrett Pille earned the win with five innings of work and beat Flowing Wells for the second time in the tournament. Juan Pablo Ruedaflores, Chad Deitering and Simon Boggie had two hits apiece for Flowing Wells (19-10-1)