Sebastian Sanchez is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Shadow Mountain High School for AZPrep365.com.

Junior Antonio Torres belted an early grand slam to help lift Odyssey Institute to a 10-4 win over Shadow Mountain on Wednesday.

“It was just a good piece of hitting by him (Torres)," Shadow Mountain coach Troy Farnsworth said. "He crushed one in the first inning. He came back and crushed another one in the second inning. He did damage to us."

Down 5-0 in the second inning, the Matadors had a steep hill to climb.

Antonio Torres celebrates with his team after Grand Slam. (Sebastian Sanchez photo/AZPreps365)In preparation for the 2023 season, the Matadors and Minotaurs are among the 22 teams competing in the Cougar Classic Baseball Tournament. Each team will play four games to get reps against different squads a week before the first official game.

In the fourth inning, Shadow Mountain rallied within two runs following a pitching change. Patience at the plate and big-time hits from Joey Meyn, Kasen Williams and Kyle Anderson put the Matadors back within striking distance. Three straight outs put an end to the run.

Coming back from a six-run deficit is challenging. Farnsworth was proud to see his team fight back into the game.

“After we saw that happen, we realized we had the potential to score more runs,” senior utility player Kyle Burchowycz said. “We gave ourselves a chance to come back.”

Entering the fifth inning, the Minotaurs led 6-4.

Tyler Hastings pitching to Tyler Connell. (Sebastian Sanchez photo/AZPreps365)

Looking to answer back, Odyssey Institute took advantage of Shadow Mountain's pitching mistakes, extending its lead to 10-4. The Matadors had a handful of defensive errors that led to Minotaur runs.

The umpire ended the game after the fifth inning – “drop dead rule, two hours.” Every tournament has its own set of rules. The drop dead rule puts a time limit on the game due to the schedule.

Senior pitcher and outfielder Tyler Hastings was disappointed in the team's effort in its first game of the season. “We didn’t compete as much as I thought we would,” Hastings said.

Box Score (five innings)

Odyssey Institute	1	4	0	1	4	10
Shadow Mountain	0	0	0	4	0	4

The Matadors enter the season with a young team and only 12 players. The early season learning curve is inevitable, but they’re determined to overcome these challenges. (Matadors baseball preview)

“Early in the season, we're looking to see different people getting some bats," Farnsworth said. "We’ve got people playing all over the place because we're still building up innings on the mound. Getting a chance to see people all over the diamond.”

The Matadors open their season against the Eastmark Firebirds at 3:45 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Shadow Mountain High School.