8/7/2023-Tucson Saguaros 12 Trinidad Triggers 7

This game was played on 8/7/2023 at Kino Sports Complex

It took a while but the Tucson Saguaros were able to shake free of the visiting Trinidad Triggers and went on to take a 12-7 win over the Coloradans Monday night at Kino Stadium, sweeping the Pecos Leagues Mountain Division Championship Series in two straight games to punch their ticket to the League Championship Series in San Rafael later this week.

B.J. Minarcin led the way for the Cacti offense by going 3-for-5 at the plate with five RBIs while Jordan Medina and JuJuan Franklin socked solo homers to back starting pitcher Brendan Konal and three relievers. Peter Bocchino blasted a pair of roundtrippers for the Triggers, whod tied the contest at 4-4 after a three-run fifth inning before the Saguaros regained the lead in the bottom of the frame. Tucson scored at least once in each of their final five turns before time ran out on Trinidad, who pushed their final two runs of the season across in the top of the ninth. Bocchino finished with three hits and three RBIs for Trinidad while Jason Rooks and Quinterrious Arrington had two hits each as starter Ben Kowalski (5 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, 4 K) took the loss. Konal (5 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 6 K) was awarded the win for Tucson. In completing their broom job Monday night to sweep both playoff series against Garden City and Trinidad, the Saguaros bought a little extra time to make the carpool trip to Marin County, where theyll open the best-of-3 League Championship Series in California. Like Tucson, the Pacifics finished first in their division regular season (Tucson went 34-13 in the Mountain Division while San Rafael went 39-8 in the Pacific Division) and swept both Lancaster and Bakersfield to reach the title series. With no crossover games in 2023, this will mark the first time teams from both divisions meet on the field with no less than a league pennant on the line.