Cody Erickson didn't have to wait long to make amends for a miscue and the Desert Mountain senior did so in a big way.

Erickson launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning Thursday afternoon to touch off a four-run rally that helped host Desert Mountain defeat Horizon, 7-4, in the power-ranking game opener for both schools.

Erickson's homer came on a 3-2 pitch -- one pitch after Horizon thought it had Erickson out on strikes with a breaking ball. An out later clean-up hitter Jake McAdams homered to left center to complete the quick comeback from a 3-2 deficit imposed on the Wolves by the Huskies in the top of the inning.

The third run Horizon scored in the top of the inning came thanks to a ball that skipped through Erickson at shortstop for an error. 

"The most important play you make is the next play,"  first-year Desert Mountain coach Brian Stephenson said. "Cody wasn't happy about the error. He came back the first chance he got and proved it. They hit us in the mouth (fourth inning). They are well-coached, and you know they won't give up. It was important we answer back."

After three innings it appeared Desert Mountain might be on its way to a pounding of its Scottsdale neighbors. Horizon starter Luke Messer pitched out of jams the first two innings, giving up only two runs despite five hits and two walks he alowed. Desert Mountain starter Tim Willittes retired the first nine hitters he faced in dominating fashion and fanned four.

But Willittes was hit hard in the fourth as Horizon collected four hits, including doubles by Trever Horn and Jon Nunnally that propeled Horizon to its brief lead. Willittes left after the fourth, finishing with five strikeouts and earned the win. Erickson hurled two shutout innings of relief and David Greer finished allowing a run and two hits in the seventh. Greer did damage hitting leading off for Desert Mountain. Greer reached base four times (two singles, a walk and hit by pitch) and scored twice.

Desert Mountain, one of the preseason favorites to vie for the Division I title, ran its record on the year to 5-0.  Horizon (1-3, 0-1 prg), as Stephenson alluded to, made Desert Mountain work for the win. Horizon coach Eric Kibler liked some of what he saw Thursday, but not enough.

"We made a lot of mistakes against a very good team, a very good team," Kibler said. "That's a bad combination. They had us in trouble every inning. Part of that was our doing with four errors and a couple of pop-ups that dropped. I liked the composure all (three) of our pitchers showed. They didn't get the help they needed, and didn't let it get to them"

Stephenson has seen lots of ability and many options available in pitching and lineups the first eight days of the season. The performance of Erckson and Greer stood out in particular on Thursday.

"Cody and David are two of the most competitive kids I've been around," Stephenson said. "The bigger the situation, the more they want to be involved."

Both schools continue the power-ranking game portion of their schedules on Friday (March 1). Desert Mountain hosts McClintock and Horizon plays host to Brophy. Both end play in invitationals on Saturday (March 2) --  Horizon at Mountain Pointe and Desert Mountain hosting Notre Dame in the title game of the Scottsdale Invitational.