Offense was in abundant supply Sunday afternoon as the Mesa Rage overcame four pitching changes and three errors to beat the Eastside Fire 12-7 in a slugfest at Big League Dreams for the 13u Majors TCS Spring Fling championship.

The game turned in the Rage's favor in the fifth inning. Down 5-2, the Rage batted around for eight runs.

The Rage loaded the bases on a leadoff single by Isaac Esparza, a walk to Kyle Camarena and an error that allowed Presto Romero to reach. Charlie Trvevin then drilled a ball to left-center for a three-RBI double to tie the game at 5.

Tony Hernandezeto followed with an RBI single one out later to give the Rage the lead. Three batters later, Blake Camarena and Joe Mucha drew consecutive walks with the bases loaded, forcing in two runs. Esparza drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, and Kyle Camarena scorched the ball to center for an RBI single for a 10-5 Rage lead.

“We never let our guard down and we fought through a tough start to the game,” Rage coach Mike Camarena. “[In the fifth inning] we played station-to-station baseball and didn't try to get it all back at once. We used the gaps and were patient at the plate. Momentum kept building and we took off.”

The Fire got off to a hot start, chasing Rage starting pitcher Joe Mucha for two runs in the first inning on an RBI fielder’s choice by Brandon Pollock and an RBI triple by Dominic Maxie.

The Fire tacked on a run every inning until the the Rage finally found a solution in relief pitcher James Ciampa. Ciampa pitched four innings and although he allowed three runs, the Rage’s offensive burst allowed him to pick up the win. He scattered four hits and pitched to his defense.

“[James] was fantastic today,” Camarena said. “He pitched [Saturday] and he was tired, but we had to throw him out there. It turned about to be a great decision. He kept us in the game until we could mount a comeback.”

The Fire tried to get back into the game in the bottom of the fifth. Trailing 10-5, the Fire scored two runs on an error and an RBI by Ben Brittain.

That was the closest the Fire would ever get.

The Rage tacked on a run in the sixth on an RBI single by Ty Nordbye and a run in the seventh on an RBI double by Romero.

Ciampa set down the Fire in order in the game’s final frame to end the slugfest.

Despite a combined 19 runs, there were no home runs in the game. The game featured eight pitching changes, five errors and 26 hits.

“This team is so resilient, so mentally tough. We are like family,” Camarena said. “The rare times we let our guard down, we lose. And today we just kept fighting.”

The Rage has won five championships as a team, Camarena said.