Decker HR walks Sunrise Mountain off

In baseball, there are certain rules of thumb that all teams follow.

Do not make the first or last out at third base.

If the batter ahead of you walks, do not swing until the pitcher proves he can throw a strike.

And in Arizona, there is a special rule: Do not throw a strike to Sunrise Mountain's Jaff Decker with the game on the line.

Tuesday night in Surprise Stadium, Pinnacle High School did just that and it cost them the game, as Decker hit a walk-off, two-run homer in extra innings to send the Mustangs to the next round of the Class 5A2 state baseball tournament.

With the score knotted at 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning and the count at 3-1, Sunrise Mountain Head Coach Eric Gardner said he was just as surprised as everyone else that Pinnacle (19-11, 5-3) did not walk Decker.

"I was definitely surprised that they pitched to him there," Gardner said. "His approach there was to only swing at his pitch."

Decker must have seen that pitch, because he proceeded to hit a laser over the right-field fence. Yet as exciting as the 4-2 finish was, Sunrise Mountain (27-3-1, 9-1) could have won the game in regulation.

Several run-scoring opportunities came and went, including a play in the bottom of the first inning where Decker tripped rounding third base; had he kept his footing, he would have scored easily.

"We had some tough luck, that's for sure," Gardner said. "But we had some good luck, too. A diving play from (Vince) Gillies at third, (catcher Cory Lee) blocking a passed ball with a runner on third, Decker's kick-save on the mound that kept a runner from scoring. We just have to have a short memory when things don't go our way."

While several mental mistakes likely cost Sunrise Mountain a run or two, by far the biggest challenge they faced Tuesday came from Pinnacle freshman pitcher Steve Casey. Casey allowed nine hits in his six-and-a-third innings of work and constantly worked out of trouble. Casey allowed only two runs, and both came in the third inning.

"Casey is the real deal, another freshmen stud," Gardner said. "How tough is that, to be a freshman and pitch the way he did in that type of a game? He had good stuff all night long and threw a ton of strikes. He pitches to contact and if you aren't ready you will be down 0-2 before you know it."

Decker was on the hill for Sunrise Mountain, and he matched Casey pitch for pitch. Decker pitched eight innings and struck out an astounding 13 hitters while allowing no walks and eight hits. It was Decker's hitting that ended the game, however, and Gardner said the effects of a dramatic win like that have a tendency to carry over to the next game.

"Momentum is a big thing in the game of baseball," Gardner said. "Our kids are definitely playing with confidence right now."

No. 1 seed Sunrise Mountain will take on No. 2 San Luis at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in Surprise Stadium.

"We have played San Luis before," Gardner said. "We beat them 3-2 and it was a very tough game. I expect the same on Saturday."