Sameer Malla is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover North Canyon High School for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX – The North Canyon bats were as cold as the chilling weather in the home opener for Paradise Valley. The Rattlers produced only one hit – a fourth-inning double by senior Derek Milligan – in their season opener.

Trojans starting pitcher Jared Swarbrick went six strong innings, striking out five batters while walking four in his 68-pitch effort. “Well, I feel like I really pounded the zone today,” Swarbrick, a senior, said. “I got some questionable calls. But overall, I think I just pounded.”

Although Swarbrick nearly allowed a walk in each inning he pitched, he was still able to find his rhythm and close out those innings effectively in his first start… as a senior.

“I think [this start] looks really good on me,” Swarbrick said. “Because I know in my last three years, I didn't really get to pitch but now this year I get to show who I really am.”

Paradise Valley head coach Ira Jeffers had some praise for Swarbrick in the win. “Swarbrick was fantastic,” Jeffers said. “He competed all night. I'm very pleased with how we played.”

The Trojans did not have one singular contributor at the plate. However, they patiently drew eight walks, with the bottom half of the lineup scoring six of those eight runs on the night.

“I just thought our approach all together was good,” Jeffers said. “I mean, not one hitter, specifically. But all our players had a good plan tonight, and so I’m just happy with how we how we played tonight. It was a whole team effort tonight.”

In the opposite dugout, the young North Canyon team, composed of eight sophomores or freshmen on a roster of 14, experienced growing pains Friday night. The Rattlers allowed eight runs, eight walks and committed four errors.

Freshman Jorge Cordero, the North Canyon starting pitcher, accounted for all eight of those runs and walks, along with 43 balls of the 93 pitches thrown. Many of his pitches were thrown high and away from the strike zone.

“Mostly I was throwing open a bit, and I wasn't throwing in the zone as much as I wanted,” Cordero said.

North Canyon head coach Jeff Fierro was pleased with the result from his inexperienced pitcher, despite Cordero’s wildness on the mound. “Jorge Cordero kept us in the game,” Fierro said. “He played one heck of a game as a freshman. We pitched a freshman into the fifth inning and we're right there.”

Despite his team almost bein no-hit and winding up with four fielding errors, Fierro was pleased his team never gave up, despite some spectacular plays from the Paradise Valley outfielders.

“We hit the ball well,” Fierro said. “We had a ball over here on the right-side gap and I think at any other night that ball is gone. We had a few balls in the gaps and Paradise Valley just have great outfielders there to cover the ground and we couldn't find anything to drop.”

“I'm just really proud of my boys,” Fierro continued. “They fought today. Even though the scoreboard doesn't really show that we fought today. We're going to be a tough out going forward.”

Both the North Canyon Rattlers (0-1) and the Paradise Valley Trojans (1-1) have road games on Tuesday, March 1st that start at 3:45 PM local. The Rattlers square off against the Metro Tech Knights (0-0), while the Trojans face the Shadow Mountain Matadors (0-0).