Nelson Baseball Fails to Earn Series Victory

The Nelson Warriors' baseball team (5-15) dropped both ends of a doubleheader against the Simpson Red Hawks at Cortez High School in Phoenix, falling 16-3 in Game 1 and a heart-breaking 8-6 in Game 2 to close out the three-game series.

Game 1: Simpson 16, Nelson 3
The Red Hawks came out swinging, plating three runs in the top of the first inning and four more in the second to build a commanding early lead. Aaron Bazan provided the Warriors' first spark with a powerful two-run home run to left-center, his second of the season, briefly cutting into the deficit. However, Simpson answered with authority, adding six runs in the third and one more in the fourth to pull away.

Sam Hess continued his quiet but consistent season, launching a solo home run in the fifth for Nelson's final tally, but the Red Hawks tacked on two more in the seventh to reach the 16-3 final. Simpson's offense was relentless, racking up 12 hits, while the Warriors managed just seven hits overall. Jimmy Holloway led the way with two hits, while Gerardo Paco, Brandon Ramirez, and Gannon Aguilar each added one.

Game 2: Simpson 8, Nelson 6
Like two heavyweight boxers fighting toe-to-toe, Game 2 was a back-and-forth slugfest throughout that to the dismay of the fans in attendance, must declare at least one winner. Nelson grabbed an early lead in the bottom of the second when Hess crushed his second home run of the day, a solo shot, followed by an Adrian Nunez double and an RBI double from Josue Franco Jr. to stake the Warriors to a 2-0 advantage.

Simpson tied the game in the fourth, but Nelson rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth, all without a hit, on a passed ball, a sacrifice fly, and a wild pitch to retake the lead at 5-2. But the Red Hawks continued to refuse to go away, responding with three runs of their own in the top of the sixth to knot the score at 5-5.

Aaron Bazan delivered again stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, smashing his second home run of the day, his third on the season, to put Nelson back in front 6-5 and leave the Warriors three outs away from salvaging a split. Unfortunately, Simpson rallied in the top of the seventh, scoring three times on three hits and an error to take an 8-6 lead. Nelson couldn't muster the tying or go-ahead runs in the bottom half, and the game ended with the Red Hawks taking the series sweep.

See the Nelson Warriors' baseball page for their upcoming schedule.

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