Saguaros Hold Off Triggers for 6-5 Victory

The longest playoff game in Pecos League History is now over. The game that took three days to complete. The Tucson Saguaros scored three runs in the eighth inning and survived a late Trinidad rally to defeat the Triggers 6-5 on July 28 in Trinidad.

Sloan Laird gave Tucson an immediate lead with a solo home run in the top of the first inning. Trinidad tied the game in the bottom half when Brody Rasmussen scored on a wild pitch. Laird delivered again in the fourth, singling home Demitrius DiMatteo to put the Saguaros ahead 2-1.

The Triggers answered with solo home runs from Jeremiah Cabuyban in the fourth and pinch hitter Imanol Ramos in the fifth, taking a 3-2 lead. Tucson tied the game in the sixth when Gavy Perez-Torres doubled home Trent Mallonee.

The decisive rally came in the eighth. Connor Kiefer was hit by a pitch, Laird singled and Mallonee walked to load the bases. Perez- Torres then reached on an error by third baseman Jeremiah Cabuyban, allowing Kiefer and Laird to score. Cedric Reynaud followed with an RBI fielder's choice that brought Mallonee home and gave Tucson a 6-3 advantage.

Trinidad made the finish dramatic in the ninth. Brice Cagle and Chris Viamonte opened the inning with singles, and Keaton Fisher drove both runners home with a pinch-hit single to cut the deficit to one. Adan Vega entered and retired the next three hitters, including a strikeout of Rasmussen, to preserve the victory.

Laird finished 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs and two RBIs. Perez-Torres drove in three runs, while Reynaud collected four hits and one RBI. Kiefer added three hits, including a double, and scored twice. Tucson totaled 14 hits in the win.

Cagle led Trinidad with three hits, while Cabuyban and Ramos each homered. Fisher supplied two RBIs in the ninth-inning rally. The Triggers collected 13 hits but left six runners on base.

Demitrius DiMatteo allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out five over 5 2/3 innings for Tucson. Matthew Mejia worked 2 1/3 innings before Vega recorded the final three outs. Trinidad starter Chip White allowed two runs on nine hits over five innings.