Brophy blasts Hamilton 15-0

April 30, 2024 by Ben Stapley, AZPreps365


Brophy's George Smith (7) celebrates an RBI triple during Tuesday’s playoff win against Hamilton at Diablo Stadium in Tempe. Steve Shaff/Brophy Athletics

Brophy figured Hamilton did not want to lose another close baseball game to the them. Not three in a row. Not in the playoffs.

So the Broncos obliged.

Behind the momentum of Jack Ohman's stellar performance on the mound and at the plate, Brophy blasted Hamilton,15-0 in a 6A second round playoff matinee at Tempe's Diablo Stadium Tuesday afternoon.

The Broncos (23-5) advance for a Saturday matchup with O'Connor in the winner's bracket. 
The two-time defending state champion Huskies (21-8) will play again Thursday against Red Mountain in the elimination bracket.

Before Brophy closed the regular season with a pair of one-run, region victories over Hamilton, the Broncos hadn't beaten the Huskies since 2016, much less twice in the same year, much less three straight games.
But Brophy's eyes are on the big prize.

"Right now we're just trying to win every playoff game no matter who the opponent is," said Ohman, who held Hamilton's powerful lineup to three hits in five innings.

Hamilton starter AJ Diaz struggled from the outset, walking a handful of batters in the first two innings, which eventually led to Brophy's first two runs. With the bases still loaded and only one out in the second, Ohman blasted a triple to right field which cleared the bases, giving the Broncos a 5-0 lead. And that's when the floogates opened.

By the end of the second inning, Brophy led 8-0. After three innings it was 12-0, as the Bronco bats were hot and Hamilton couldn't create any momentum. It was only the second time all season Hamilton gave up 10 runs. The other game coming in a 13-10 loss to Casteel in extra innings.

Willie Cornejo-Farmer and George Smith both drove in runs off triples and combined for five RBI's. Brophy finished with 11 hits.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Jack Meissner sent one into the right field bleachers for a three-run shot, and the 15-0 damage was done.

"We came into this game in the attack mode," Meissner said. "We knew they were saying to themselves 'we can't lose three times to Brophy.'"

Ohman relished the big stage and the dual-role of pitcher-slugger. He added a double in the third inning, but his three-run triple was the hit of the game. 

"That was huge because it really got us going," Ohman said of his triple. "I've come through in situations like those before on the mound and at the plate, so I felt some confidence."

Brophy's entire club has reason to feel confident. Coach Josh Garcia will send his No. 1 pitcher Johnny Casale to the mound Saturday with a week's worth of rest.

Jack (Ohman) was great today," said Garcia, who played for Brophy's last state championship team in 2006. "Any playoff win is big, but this one was a big win not because of the runs we scored but the extra rest. The key is staying focused."