(Tucson, AZ) The Pima Community College baseball team (41-13, 24-11 in ACCAC) hosted its final regular season home doubleheader on Tuesday against Arizona Western College (36-14, 23-13) at the West Campus Aztec Field.
The No. 10 ranked Aztecs won the first game in dramatic fashion but couldn’t overcome a late deficit in the second game. Freshman Collin Senior (Horizon HS) closed out the day going 4 for 6 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Sophomore Nick Arias (Tucson Magnet HS) finished 3 for 6 with two RBIs, three runs scored and three walks.
W – Alvarez (8-0). 2B: Kragel. HR: Senior.
Game 1: (10) Pima Aztecs 4, Arizona Western Matadors 3
Down 3-2 in the bottom of the 7th, Arias hit a one-out single. Senior wasted no time as he drove the first pitch he saw deep to left field as it went over the fence for the walk-off homer.
The Aztecs trailed 3-0 heading into the bottom of the 4th inning. Freshman Nolan Ganter (Pinnacle HS) and sophomore David Shackelford drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. Sophomore Brant Kragel loaded the bases after he was hit by a pitch. Sophomore Ruben Castro (Tucson Magnet HS) brought in Ganter after he hit a groundout. Sophomore Caleb Herd (Cienega HS) hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to score Shackelford.
Senior finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run while Arias was 1 for 2 with a run and two walks.
Sophomore Diego Alvarez (Sahuarita HS) picked up the win after he pitched all seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits with six strikeouts and one walk on 82 pitches.
L – White (1-2). 2B: Arias. HR: Senior.
Game 2: Arizona Western Matadors 15, (10) Pima Aztecs 9
The Aztecs and the Matadors went back and forth on offense until Arizona Western scored seven runs in the 7th inning to take the lead for good.
The Aztecs rallied to take a lead on three separate occasions. Ganter hit a two-run RBI single in the 1st inning to drive in sophomore Jontae Hennesy (Horizon HS) and Arias to make it 2-1. The Matadors scored two runs in each the 3rd and 4th innings to take the lead.
The Aztecs countered with four runs in the bottom of the 4th. Castro and Shackelford scored on an error and Arias hit a two-run RBI double to plate Herd and Hennesy to put the Aztecs back up 6-5. The Matadors tied it up in the 6th inning.
Senior hit his second home run of the day as he drove a shot deep to center field for a two-run home run as he scored Arias to make it 8-6 in Pima’s favor. That was the last lead they would hold in the game.
Senior finished 2 for 2 with two RBIs, a run scored and three walks. Arias went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored while Hennesy was 2 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs. Shackelford finished 2 for 4 with two runs and Ganter was 1 for 5 with two RBIs.
Sophomore Tommy White took the loss as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up four runs (four earned) on three hits with one strikeout and one walk.
The Aztecs will close out the regular season on Saturday when they play at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix. First game starts at 12:00 p.m.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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