(Phoenix, AZ) The Pima Community College baseball team (45-17) opened play at the NJCAA West District Tournament against the College of Southern Nevada (49-10) on Thursday at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix.
The Aztecs were in a back-and-forth battle with the Coyotes but fell 7-5 in the end. The Aztecs will play in an elimination game on Friday.
Sophomore Brant Kragel hit a lead-off triple in the 2nd inning and tied the game at 1-1when he scored on a passed ball. Sophomore David Shackelford drew a walk and sophomore Antonio Avila hit a double to put two runners on base. Sophomore Ruben Castro (Tucson Magnet HS) put Pima ahead 2-1 with a sacrifice-fly RBI to bring in Shackelford.
The Coyotes went up 3-2 with two runs in the 4th inning. Sophomore Caleb Herd (Cienega HS) put the Aztecs back up 4-3 when he hit a two-run home run to left field and brought in Castro, who reached on an error in the previous at-bat. The Coyotes countered with three runs in the bottom-half of the 6th inning to go back up 6-4.
The Aztecs cut into Southern Nevada’s lead again in the 7th inning when Kragel hit an RBI single to score Hennesy, who hit a double earlier in the inning.
The Aztecs left 12 runners on base for the game. They left the bases loaded in the 4thinning and stranded two runners in each the 8th and 9th innings.
Herd finished the game going 1 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Kragel went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run while Hennesy was 2 for 5 with a run. Shackelford closed it out going 1 for 3 with a run. Castro was 0 for 2 with an RBI and a run. Sophomore Elijah Reeves (Marana HS) was 2 for 4.
Sophomore Diego Alvarez (Sahuarita HS) took the loss as he pitched five and two-third innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts and one walk on 95 pitches.
PCC 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 5 11 3
CSN 1 0 0 2 0 3 1 0 x 7 11 1
L – Alvarez (8-2). 2B: Hennesy, Avila. 3B: Kragel. HR: Herd. SB: Herd.
The Aztecs will play the loser of the South Mountain Community College/Southeast Community College on Friday. The elimination game will be at 9:00 a.m. at South Mountain CC.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics- Raymond Suarez
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