While eight teams continue their search for a World Series championship, prospects started another season in the Arizona Fall League on Saturday. The Surprise Saguaros, home to nine Phillies prospects, opened with a 9-3 win at Scottsdale. Dante Nori and Kehden Hettiger each contributed two hits. The hot bat was Welbyn Francisca (Cleveland), who went 5-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and three runs driven in.
Nori had a first inning single that drove in Francisca, who had singled and moved to third on a single by Aidan Miller (1-for-5, 2 walks). Nori also tripled and scored a run in the third.
Hettiger started at catcher for the Saguaros and led off the fourth by punching a double to center field and then scored on a triple by Zion Rose (Kansas City). A one-out single in the ninth by Hettiger put runners on first and third before he stole second and then scored on an RBI single by Paxton King (Texas) to cap the scoring.
Miller played third base and fielded just one groundball in the game. No other Phillies played for the Saguaros, but catcher Luke Davis, who is on the Scottsdale Scorpions, came in defensively in the eighth inning and walked in his only plate appearance of the day.
Seven different pitchers got work for Surprise with righty Peyton Prescott (NY Mets) getting the start and throwing 1.2 shutout innings to be awarded the win. AFL starters are not required to throw five innings to get the win, which is decided on the discretion of the official scorer.
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