8/12/2025-The Tucson Saguaros broke open a one-run game by scoring four times in the bottom of the eighth, then held off visiting San Rafael in the top of the ninth to clinch the 2025 Pecos League Championship Series with an 11-7 win over the Pacifics Monday night at Tucson's Kino Memorial Stadium. The Saguaros rebounded from Saturday's series-opening loss to win the best-of-3 title set, 2 games to 1, for their first flag since 2021.

After a scoreless first inning, San Rafael posted four runs in the top of the second, highlighted by an Aki Buckson double that brought Payton Rios home. Tucson responded with three counters of their own in the bottom of the frame as Hal Perez's double scored Mike Whalen from second. The Saguaros tied the game in the third when Whalen singled in Gavy Perez-Torres and took a 5-4 lead in the fourth as Marquise Wood sliced a James Courson pull-count pitch for a single that scored Perez from third.

The Pacifics pulled back ahead in the top of the fifth after Chris Wright's two-out, two-run homer off reliever Blake Garrett made it a 6-5 contest. Garrett took matters into his own hand in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run triple to put the Saguaros back in front, 7-6, and Tucson scored four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth as Jacob Elizondo, Perez-Torres and Yan Rivera contributed RBI singles with four San Rafael pitchers taking the mound in the frame. Kyle Guerra doubled Wood home from first with two down in the top of the ninth to bring the Pacifics within four runs before Treshon Paschal struck out John Bicos on three pitches to end the game, series and season with a Tucson win and pennant.

Elizondo had three singles for the Saguaros while Perez added two hits, scoring three times and driving in two more, while Elizondo and Perez-Torres each added a pair of singles; Buckson, Guerra and Wright had two hits apiece for the Pacifics with Buckson scoring three runs and Wright finishing with two ribbies. Garrett earned the win with three innings of one-run pitching out of the bullpen while Jake Dent, who gave up the two fifth-inning Cacti runs in relief, was tagged with the loss.

Tucson's pitching came up clutch by blanking San Rafael over the last four innings after the potent Pacific Division champs had put 31 runs on the scoreboard over the first 23 innings of the championship series as the Pacifics were thwarted in their attempt at a second Pecos League crown in three seasons.