Chandler High picked an opportune time to defeat Brophy Prep for the first time this season. The host Wolves rolled out a pair of four-run innings (third and fourth) and went on to topple the Broncos, 11-1, in the first round of the 6A state baseball tournament. The tournament is double elimination.

Chandler's next game is Tuesday at 4 p.m. at #3 Mountain Ridge, a 6-5 winner over Mesa Mtn. View. Brophy hosts Mountain View the same day at 4 p.m. in an elimination contest.

Chandler (23-6) lost a pair of one-run decisions to their Premier Region-rival Broncos (14-12) in the regular season (4-3 and 3-2). The Wolves cranked out 10 hits and got six strong innings from Aiden Shumaker in a game shortened to six innings by the 10-run rule. Kyle Sleconich and Tate Scott drove in three runs apiece. Both were 2 for 3 with a single and double. Shumaker and Seth Moore also collected two hits each. Shumaker's reached all three times and his courtesy runner scored three times. Moore, Sleconich and Brody Sexton also scored twice.

Schumaker trailed once and only briefly. He gave up a solo homer to Willie Cornejo-Farmer in the second. That was Shumaker's most difficult inning as he hit a batter and gave up a single later. He escaped damage getting the last two outs on a comebacker and strikeout. Schumaker allowed three hits, didn't walk a batter and fanned five. Schumaker (6-1, 2.06 ERA) did not face Brophy in the regular-season meetings and pitched as effectively as he did in the regular season to get the Wolves off to a winning start. 

Chandler scored off each of Brophy's four pitchers - starter Johnny Casale, Max Spitza, Lucas Franz an Luke Whitlow. Sleconich highlighted the four-run, third with a two-run double, Scott ripped a two-run single in the fourth and Brophy gave up two runs in the sixth via a wild pitch followed by a passed ball.

Brophy's Willie Cornejo-Farmer (22) heads to his dugout after belting a 2nd-inning home run. (Azpreps365 photo)