Athletics
Sports Overview

Baseball Wins AIA 6A Playoff Opener over Sunnyslope

Senior Matt Niezgodzki went 2-for-4 with five RBI, and Johnny Casale threw a complete game, two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts as No. 2 seed Brophy defeated Sunnyslope 7-0 on Saturday at Opus Field.

Brophy (22-5) will play No. 7 Hamilton at Tempe Diablo Stadium at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in Round 2B.

The Broncos scored the first run of the game in the first as Casale executed a sacrifice bunt to score Jack Ryan, who had singled to start the inning. Ryan finished with three runs scored, two hits, and a walk in the game. He had advanced to third on a Jack Meissner single.

Niezgodzki provided a three-run double in the third to clear a bases-loaded situation and extend the lead to 4-0. The Broncos tacked on three more in the sixth inning when Niezgodzki knocked in two with a single, and Willie Cornejo-Farmer followed with a run-scoring single.

Brophy is now 22-5 overall and has won 18 of their last 20 games after a 4-3 start. The 22 wins are the most since winning 24 in 2012. It was also a program-tying record eighth shutout.

The program's win over Hamilton on April 19 was it's first since 2016 and its first series sweep over the Huskies since 2012.  The two teams will be meet for the third time in 11 days.