Kings split two with Nationals, beat DMAFB

BISBEE — After a marathon doubleheader Saturday night that ran nearly to midnight, the Bisbee Copper Kings took to the field a little more than 12 hours later against Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

Splitting the pitching duties between six, and getting a 2-for-4 performance by Mike Mecucci, the Kings rolled to a 9-3 win.

On Saturday the Kings split a pair with the Tucson Nationals, losing 7-5 in 12 innings in the opener and winning the nightcap 10-0.

Bisbee led for the most of the first game, and when Destry Rice delivered a two-run double in the eighth to put the Kings up 7-5, they needed just three outs to end it. But a two-run home run tied it in the ninth and in the 12th, the Nationals scored the winning run thanks to a pair of passed balls.

Twenty minutes later, the Kings were a completely different team.

Brandon Orr pitched seven, four-hit shutout innings and in the second inning Bisbee jumped on top 3-0 thanks to an RBI double by James Lilley that scored Armando Moran and a double by Miguel Trujillo that plated Sterling Schuller and Lilley.

Moran was 3-for-4 with a double, Trujillo was 2-for-3 with a double and Mecucci went 2-for-5 with his second triple in as many games.

This weekend, the Kings take on the Casa Grande Cotton Kings in a four-game set. The first doubleheader starts Friday at 4 p.m. at Warren Ballpark, with the second game to follow at 7 on both nights.