Chunk innings were the rule of the day Wednesday afternoon as 6A Highland's and 5A Campo Verde's Gilbert baseball teams met. Highland's two big innings were just enough better to secure an 8-7 victory at Hawks Field.

The Hawks used an infield single off reliever Mason Shea's glove to cap a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh for the winning tally.  Highland won for the seventh time in 11 games and is 4-3 in power-ranking contests. Campo Verde slipped to 9-5, 3-2.

Highland scored five runs in the second inning. Campo Verde overtook Highland with three-run rallies in the third- and fifth-innings plus a single run in the sixth. The Hawks sent five batters to the plate in the seventh. Noone made an out in the winning rally.

Campo Verde starter Brady Tokarski followed up the five-runs he alllowed in the second inning with four shutout frames. He took the mound to start the seventh and gave up a leadoff double to Ben Watson. Campo Verde coach Jeff Singer made the call for Shea to try and nail down the win.

Shea walked the first batter he faced and a throwing error and wild pitch allowed Watson to score cutting the lead to 7-6. Highland's Drake Khamis singled and cleanup hitter Jack Ellsworth followed with a double to tie it at 7. With runners at second and third, the infield hit plated the winner.

Highland had three players with multiple hits. Khamis was 2 for 4 with two RBI, Ellsworth 2 for 3, both doubles and Kaleb Giles 2 for 3. Leading hitters for Campo Verde were Jackson Reid, 2 for 4 (triple and solo home run), Zack Haugen 2 for 4 and Easton Bryant 1 for 4 with a two-run  homer.

Highland's Dalton Sailer, the Hawks' fourth pitcher, picked up the victory tossing a scoreless seventh inning. 

Campo Verde's Easton Bryant scores after homering in the 3rd inning vs. Highland on Wednesday. (Azpreps365 photo)