(Prescott, AZ) The Pima Community College baseball team (30-16, 17-13 in ACCAC) struggled to make up ground in the ACCAC conference standings as it played at Yavapai College (31-12-1, 19-9)
Sophomore Preston Clifford (Sabino HS) finished the day going 3 for 7 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Game 1: Yavapai College Roughriders 11, Pima CC Aztecs 5
The Aztecs tied the game in the 4th inning but the Roughriders scored six unanswered runs; which included five in the 6thinning.
Down 5-0 in the 4th inning, the Aztecs rallied as sophomore Emilio Corona hit an RBI double to score sophomore Romeo Ballesteros (Salpointe Catholic HS), who hit a leadoff double. Freshman Andrew Stucky (Canyon del Oro HS) grounded-out but brought in Clifford.
Sophomore Jose Enriquez followed with an RBI single to plate Corona and cut it to 5-3. With the bases loaded, freshman Gage Mestas tied the game at 5-5 with a 2-run RBI single bringing around Enriquez and sophomore Fernando Loera.
Yavapai retook the lead with a run in the bottom-half of the 4th.
Mestas finished the game going 1 for 4 with two RBIs while Ballesteros went 2 for 4 with a run scored. Loera was 2 for 3 with a run. Corona and Enriquez each finished 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Stucky was 1 for 3 with an RBI and Clifford went 1 for 3 with a run.
Sophomore Bradon Zastrow took the loss as he pitched three and two-third innings giving up six runs (six earned) on 10 hits with eight strikeouts and one walk on 92 pitches.
PCC 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 5 9 0
YC 2 0 3 1 0 5 x 11 15 1
L – Zastrow (1-4). 2B – Ballesteros 2, Corona. SB – Pintor.
Game 2: Yavapai College Roughriders 15, Pima CC Aztecs 9 (8 innings, game called due to darkness)
The Aztecs took an 8-1 lead but the Roughriders scored 14 runs and halted the Aztecs’ rally in the 8th inning.
The Aztecs took the lead in the 2nd inning with five runs. Sophomore Josh Lackner hit a 2-run RBI single with the bases loaded scoring pinch runner Zastrow and Enriquez. Loera and Ballesteros took advantage of some Yavapai miscues and scored on errors. Clifford hit an RBI double to bring around Lackner as Pima took a 5-0 lead.
In the 4th inning, Clifford hit an RBI single to plate Mestas, who hit a leadoff single, as they led 6-1.
The Aztecs tacked on two more runs in the 5th inning. Ballesteros drew a bases loaded walk scoring Enriquez and Clifford hit a sacrifice-fly RBI bringing in Loera to make it 8-1.
The Roughriders scored three runs in the 5th, eight in the 6th inning and three in the 7th.
Clifford finished the game going 2 for 4 with three RBIs. Lackner was also 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Ballesteros went 1 for 2 with an RBI, a run scored and two walks. Enriquez scored two runs and drew two walks and Loera finished 1 for 2 with two runs.
Freshman Matt Cornelius took the loss as he pitched one-third of an inning in relief giving up six runs (six earned) on three hits with one strikeout and two walks.
PCC 0 5 0 1 2 0 0 1 9 9 1
YC 0 1 0 0 3 8 3 x 15 12 4
L – Cornelius (3-3). 2B – Clifford, Stucky. SB – Loera, Corona.
The Aztecs will step away from ACCAC conference play on Saturday as they host a doubleheader against Arizona Christian University JV at the West Campus Aztec Baseball Field. First game is at noon.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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