Bengals fall to Silverado in preseason slugfest
(Mar 1, 2008) — Philip Navarro came a home run short of hitting for the cycle and Jordan Hanley drove in four runs as Bonanza’s baseball team opened the preseason Saturday morning, losing a slugfest with Silverado, 23-17.
Navarro was 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI, doubling and tripling, to lead the Bengals, who struggled on the mound in the first taste of the preseason.
“All in all, we liked what we saw, despite what the scoreboard showed,” Bonanza coach Derek Stafford said. “The offense showed up today in impressive fashion, which is something we are very happy with. Our pitching staff will figure it out soon enough, but I’d say today was a success.”
Hanley — in one inning of work — was the only Bengal pitcher who didn’t allow any runs against the Skyhawks, who were playing their second scrimmage of the preseason. The senior was also 2-for-5 at the plate with a triple and a run scored.
Chasen Shreve was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Nick Bryant, Eddie Orozco and Kyle Ross also doubled in runs, with Bryant and Ross both finishing with two RBI apiece. Chris Antoku also collected a pair of hits against Silverado, arguably the top team in the Sunrise Region heading into the season. Silverado plated 11 runs in the bottom of the fifth while Bonanza added a 12-run inning of its own.
“It’s the preseason so everybody got to play, we got a few newcomers some time on the mound and we are slowly preparing for the season opener March 6th at Basic,” Stafford said. “We have Palo Verde Monday, two days of practice on Tuesday and Wednesday and then the season is here.
“For our guys, it was just nice to get out on the field against faces other than their own. The scrimmage was a success and now we move on to Monday. It’s all about progressing.”
Bonanza travels to neighboring Palo Verde this upcoming Monday. The game is set for a 3:30 p.m. start.
