Red Mountain's late rally nips Brophy

May 6, 2025 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Brophy's Ronan O'Brien delivers in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to Red Mountain. (Azpreps365 photo)

A crooked number late and the stellar pitching of Drew Hanen Tuesday night were critical for Red Mountain in its second round 6A state baseball playoff game.

The Mountain Lions plated five runs in the fifth inning and Hanen's relief stint combined to rally them to a 6-5 triumph over Brophy Prep at Red Mountain High School.

Red Mountain amassed seven hits in the fateful fifth to turn a 5-1 deficit to what turned into the game-winning rally. Wyatt Bundy's two-run double and RBI singles from Kale Thorson and Keith Price were they key hits.

Adding hits in the game-changing rally were Cade Olson, Carter Macanas, Hagen Wright and Cyrus Ellington. The manner of the victory was eerily similar to a regular-season loss the Mountain Lions pinned on the Broncos in mid-March.

Hanen earned the victory in that one with three innings of work, allowing one run (unearned at that).

"They earned every bit of what they got," Brophy coach Josh Garcia said. "Hanen came in and was clutch for them."

Next up for Red Mountain is tournament top-seed Corona del Sol. The Aztecs took care of No. 8 Sandra Day O'Connor with a 10-0 victory at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Game time for Saturday is set for 6:30 p.m. at Diablo Stadium. Red Mountain and Corona did not meet during the regular season.

"The first guy O'Brien really kept us down," Red Mountain coach Rob Gorrell said. "We didn't get going until after he left (after four innings of work)."

Gorrell praised Hanen, who has been a savior often this season in the role he played on Tuesday.

"Drew has done great for us," Gorrell said. "He just kind of fell into that role he played tonight."

Hanen allowed four hits and two runs. 

He retired six of the last seven batters he faced, including a tension-free, 1-2-3 seventh.

Wright led Red Mountain's offense going 3-for-3 -- all singles. Thorson was 2-for-3.

Dre Ethier and Isaac Holder paced Brophy with two hits apiece.