(Huachuca City, AZ) The Pima Community College baseball team (40-12, 24-10 in ACCAC) secured its second straight 40+ win season on Saturday after earning a sweep on the road at Cochise College (33-21, 20-16).
Before the 2023 season, the No. 16 ranked Aztecs hadn’t had a 40-plus win season since 1991.
Sophomore Brant Kragel finished the day 2 for 6 with two RBIs, two runs scored ad two walks. Fellow sophomore Nick Arias (Tucson Magnet HS) went 3 for 7 with an RBI and three runs scored.
Freshman Collin Senior (Horizon HS) closed out the day going 2 for 7 with three RBIs, two runs and a walk. Sophomores J.T. Drake and Garrett Hicks (Verrado HS) got the wins on the mound.
W – Drake (8-3). 2B: Castro, Ganter, Jesse. 3B: Senior.
Game 1: (16) Pima Aztecs 11, Cochise Apaches 2
The Aztecs scored nine straight runs to take the lead.
Kragel tied it at 1-1 in the 2nd inning with a groundout to score freshman Nolan Ganter (Pinnacle HS).
Freshman Ray Jesse and sophomore Jontae Hennesy (Horizon HS) scored on a couple of fielder’s choice plays and Kragel hit an RBI single to score Ganter to make it 4-1 in the 3rdinning.
Jesse hit a two-run RBI single scoring Kragel and sophomore Ruben Castro (Tucson Magnet HS) in the 5th inning to put Pima up 6-1.
Castro cleared the bases in the 6th with a three-run RBI double bringing around Arias, Senior and sophomore David Shackelford as Pima led 9-1.
Garrett Hick – Photo/Ben Carbajal
Ganter capped off the Pima scoring in the 7th inning with a two-run RBI double as he finished the game 2 for 3 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk.
Castro finished 2 for 2 with three RBIs and a run while Kragel was 1 for 3 with two RBIs, a run and a walk.
Jesse went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run and Senior was 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Arias finished 1 for 2 with two runs scored and two walks.
Drake got the win as he pitched a complete-game, giving up two runs (two earned) on five hits with five strikeouts on 92 pitches.
W – Hicks (5-1). 3B: Avila, Shackelford. HR: Shackelford, Arias.
Game 2: (16) Pima Aztecs 8, Cochise Apaches 4
The Aztecs fell behind early but scored six straight runs to take the lead for good and earn the sweep.
Down 2-0 in the 3rd inning, the Aztecs scored three runs in the top of the inning. Shackelford led off with a triple and was driven in by sophomore Antonio Avila, who hit a triple of his own to put Pima on the board. Hennesy hit an RBI single to score Avila, and Senior hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to bring in sophomore Caleb Herd (Cienega HS). The Aztecs took a 3-2 lead.
They added to it in the 4th inning with another three runs. Shackelford went deep to left field on a 1-1 count for the three-run shot. He scored Kragel and Castro as Pima led 6-2.
The Apaches rallied off two runs in the bottom-half of the 4th inning. The Aztecs countered with Arias, who drilled a solo home run to left field in the 7th inning to make it 7-4.
Shackelford finished the game 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored while Senior had two RBIs and a walk. Avila went 1 for 4 with an RBI and two runs and Arias was 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored. Herd finished 2 for 3 with a run.
Hicks came in for relief and picked up the win after throwing five and one-third innings, giving up two hits with three strikeouts.
The Aztecs have won 18 of their last 22 games and have four games left in the regular season. They play their final regular season home doubleheader at the West Campus Aztec Field on Tuesday against Arizona Western College. First game starts at 12:00 p.m.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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