Brophy Prep rallies to beat No. 1 Hamilton for the 6A Premier Region baseball title

Benton Hickman was sensational in relief and Jack Ohman was clutch at the plate in Phoenix Brophy Prep's 4-3 win at top-ranked Chandler Hamilton on Friday that clinched the 6A Premier Region baseball championship for the Broncos.

Down 3-0 after three innings, Brophy scored three runs in the fourth off starter A.J. Diaz, who walked five batters, two of which he walked in.

After that, coach Josh Garcia handed junior right-hander Hickman the ball, and suddenly Hamilton's power hitters were quieted.

Hickman gave up just three hits over the last four innings mixing in a sneaky quick fastball with a changeup. He got help from catcher Jonah Castle, who threw out a runner at second to end the sixth.

Ohman delivered in the seventh with an RBI double that broke the 3-3 tie.

"It's the moments you dream about when you're laying in bed at night," Ohman said. "I've always been kind of a late-game hitter."

Brophy had a couple of miscues in the field, one in the bottom of the seventh, but Hickman got out of a jam after Hamilton had runners on first and second and none out.

Hickman got No. 3 batter Liam Wilson, who homered in the first, to freeze on a third strike called. He got cleanup hitter Drew Rogers to ground to short. And first baseman Willie Cornejo-Farmer leaped to catch a line drive that could have scored the winning run to end the game.

"I think after their last couple of at-bats they were expecting fastballs," Hickman said. "I like to bury hitters in. Hit it on their hands, get that ground ball."

Hickman has been Brophy's best relief pitcher.

"He doesn't start for us, which takes a guy with that kind of stuff to be humble and learn his role to be a late-innings guy," Garcia said. "Ohman has been clutch all year. Before the at-bat, I asked him if he wanted to bunt or hit. He said he wanted to hit. I let him hit."

Garcia said this was the first time since he's taken over the Brophy program in 2017 from Tom Succow that he has beaten Hamilton, the two-time defending state champions.

Brophy (20-5, 7-1) has one more game against Hamilton (19-6, 4-2) on Monday at home, before starting the state playoffs next Saturday. Last year, Brophy had to forfeit an opening win due to using a pitcher who had surpassed the pitch count, before falling out of the 6A tournament with a loss to Pinnacle to finish 13-16.

Garcia said this is basically the same group this season.

"We felt we had a lot to prove," Garcia said. "This is a mature team. Our pitching staff has kept us there. Our defense has been sound. And offensively, they've shown very mature at-bats."

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Brophy Prep rallies to beat No. 1 Hamilton for the 6A Premier Region baseball title