Desert Vista's Jack Malone caps a five-RBI day with a single to right vs. Gilbert. (AzPreps365 photo)

Desert Vista's didn't let a non-contact, first-inning put it in a mental funk as it opened 6A Central Region play Wednesday against Gilbert High.

The Thunder's first three hitters went down on strikes, but they emedied that in the next inning and beyond with a couple big home runs pacing a 12-0, five-inning victory over Gilbert at Gilbert High.

Tommy Malley ripped a three-run homer in the second and Jack Malone capped a six-run third with a grand slam as Desert Vista won its third game in a row and 10th in its last 11. Junior Brandon Childers allowed two hits, walked two and fanned four in four innings of work. He was backed by three double plays. Malone finished with  five RBI, adding the last in the fifth-inning on a single.

Desert Vista is fifth in the current 6A power-rankings and ran its record  to 13-5 overall and 6-2 in power-ranking games. Gilbert, which had won two in a row knocking off solid teams in Perry and Horizon, dropped to 7-11, 2-6 prg. The Tigers entered play  22nd in the power-rankings.

The teams played a scoreless first with Gilbert starter and lefty Evan Reynolds using a good curveball to fan the side.

In Desert Vista's second inning, Reynolds issued a six-pitch walk to Childers to open the inning. Jax Chapman's sacrifice bunt attempt was better than that. It rolled down the first-base-line glued to the chalk and he beat it out for a hit. That brought up Mallley, who lifted an 0-2 pitch overe the wall in the right-field corner for a 3-0 advantage. The first-inning fan-fest was a distant memory.

"We've been a very good two-strilke hitting team," Desert Vista coach Cody Brassfield said. "That one swing was a confidence builder. We got some extra outs later and took advantage."

Reynolds surrendered two walks, a single and two runners eached via errors that improved Desert Vista's lead to 5-0 and left the base loaded for Malone. Malone crushed a 1-0 pitch to deep right to complete the rally. All six runs in the inning were unearned.

Childers, who won his fourth game of the year, continued a strong streak of pitching. After giving up a single and walk in the first he escaped unscathed. Double plays erased leadoff hitters who reached the next three innings.

A 4-6-3 did the trick in the second, 5-4-3 in the third and a weird 6-4-3 did the same in the fourth. Shortstop Dylan Cuenca bobbled the DP ball in the fourth, but it popped up high from his glove into the glove of second baseman Justice Panton who was already on the bag. Panton completed the play firing to first. Childers earned-run average rests at 0.89.

Bryce Ulm led Gilbert with two of the Tigers three hits, both singles. The teams complete their two-game region series at Desert Vista Thursday at 4 p.m.