Any time teams get  to play at a venue like Chase Field it's a unique experience.

Several teams over the past few years have been able to play at the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. It's all the better when you play for the winning team.

Last Friday night after Arizona polished off San Francisco in a tight season-opener, Mountain View and Red Mountain high schools squared off about an hour after the pros left the field. The Brown Road neighbors separated by  five miles in Mesa, were engaged in a 1-1 battle in the top of the fourth.

A four-run rally by Mountain View capped by the son of a former major leaguer, Zac Hyzdu (father is Adam Hyzdu)  broke the game open. Hyzdu belted a a three-run double to the left-field corner.  A ringing two-run triple down the right-field line by Tyler Traasdahl in the fifth made it 7-1. 

Finishing a nice game all around was the Toros Willie Ethington. Ethington scalded his second double of the game and drove in the Toros' eighth and final run in the sixth of an 8-1 victory.

Ethington, arguably the top pro prospect in the state, allowed no earned runs in six innings, five hits, no walks and struck out 10. Ethington had the distinct look of a player that might one day play in a stadium with three decks. Ethington is hitting .491 with 8 homers and 23 RBI in 21 games. Pitching his numbers are a 3-1 record with a 1.36 ERA. He has walked two and struck out 36 in 27 innings.

 The highlight for Red Mountain came from shortstop Aaron Smith, who had two hits and a made a very nice over--the-shoulder catch in short left-field to rob Mountain View's Tyler Wiehl of a bloop hit. Wiehl responded later by whacking a laser-like triple to right center to start the game-breaking rally in the fourth.

While the outcome favored Mountain View, both coaches made  the effort to get as many players on the field as possible. Whether it be for one at-bat, pinch-running, courtesy running, or playing defense for an inning quite a few of the players on both sides got a taste of the big leagues so to speak. This wasn't an ordinary game either. Not only a  rivalry game, but one that counted in the standings toward power-point totals.

Kudos to Red Mountain coach Ross Pagel and Mountain View coach Mike Thiel for getting so many players on the field in one capacity or another. While not the ultimate high school memory (like winning a state title) it will be one players won't  forget whether they won or lost.