LSU commit throws no-hitter for Arbor View; Gorman advances in 5A playoffs

LSU commit Colton Christman threw a no-hitter and helped the Arbor Views baseball team defeat Liberty 11-0 Saturday in a Class 5A Southern Region tournament elimination game in five innings at Arbor View. The game ended in the bottom of the fifth because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Arbor View (28-7), the Sky League’s No. 2 seed, will advance to host Durango at 4 p.m. Monday in another elimination game.

Christman had six strikeouts in five innings. Devin Martin went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double and four RBIs for Arbor View.

The Aggies opened the playoffs Thursday with a 7-2 win over Desert Oasis. But on Friday, the NIAA ruled the game as a forfeit and dropped Arbor View to the losers bracket, swapping places with Desert Oasis.

That pushed back the elimination game against Liberty, originally scheduled against Desert Oasis for Friday, to Saturday. And it pushed back the schedule elimination game against Durango from Saturday to Monday.

Jake Belanger was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a double, and Teagan Russin went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs for Arbor View. Angelo Ugarte added two hits, two walks and two stolen bases for the Aggies.

Liberty, the Desert League’s No. 3 seed, finishes 15-18.

The winner of Arbor View-Durango on Monday advances to play Faith Lutheran at 4 p.m. Thursday at Durango in another elimination game.

No. 1M Bishop Gorman 2, No. 2D Desert Oasis 0: At Gorman, the Gaels, the Mountain League’s No. 1 seed, managed just three hits, but pulled through to defeat the Diamondbacks in a Southern Region tournament winners bracket contest on Saturday.

The Gaels (27-5) advanced to play Centennial at 7 p.m. Thursday at Durango in a winners bracket region semifinal. The winner of the game will advance to the 5A Southern Region title game on May 9 and qualify for the state tournament.

Jack Stoner earned the win on the mound for Gorman, pitching 6⅔ scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Justin Rodrigues earned the save in one-third inning of relief and recorded an RBI.

Desert Oasis, the Desert League’s No. 2 seed, will play Palo Verde at 1 p.m. Thursday at Durango in an elimination game.

Palo Verde did not play on Saturday after the NIAA pulled Basic and Coronado out of the region tournament and the multiple vacant spots in the losers bracket advanced the Panthers to Thursday.