8/10/2025-Any concerns that the San Rafael Pacifics might be rusty after a week-long layoff were quickly dispelled as the Pacific Division titlists topped the Mountain Division kingpin Tucson Saguaros, 12-9, in Saturdays opening game of the 2025 Pecos League Championship Series at Kino Stadium in Arizona. The Pacifics had been idle after eliminating Dublin on August 1 while the Saguaros needed to knock out both Pecos and Garden City over the past week to reach the last series of the season. San Rafael put Tucson in an early hole by scoring five runs in the top of the first inning, keyed by a two-run Chris Wright single and Fred Bucksons two-run double. The Saguaros came back in the bottom of the first with three counters of their own, featuring RBI singles by Anthony Manisero and Brian Ledezma. The two teams traded runs in the second frame before the Pacifics posted three more tallies in the top of the third to raise their lead to 9-4 as Wright stroked another two-run single. Tucson kept fighting back but were unable to get closer than three runs to San Rafael the rest of the way, although Hal Perezcame to the plate with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth before hitting a runner with a base hit live ball to end the game..

Fred Buckson led San Rafael with three hits and as many RBIs, Aki Buckson had three hits of his own and scored twice while Wright finished with two hits and four ribbies. Manisero and Jacob Elizondo each collected three hits for Tucson while Ledezma and Marquise Wood both homered in a losing cause.

The two sides will converge on Kino Stadium for Game 2 Sunday night at 7:00PM local time. San Rafael seeks their second Pecos League pennant in three years while Tucson is looking for a fourth flag, the last one coming in 2021.