Baseball

Shackelford hits go-ahead homer as Aztecs Baseball takes Game 1 against Arizona Western in Region Semifinals

David Shackelford and Garrett Hicks/Photos by Gilbert Alcaraz

(Tucson, AZ)  The Pima Community College baseball team (43-14) was forced to rally in the first game of the Region I, Division I Semifinals on Thursday against Arizona Western College (37-16) at the West Campus Aztec Field.

The No. 2 seeded Aztecs rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Matadors 7-6. The Aztecs took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series and look to advance to the Region I Finals with a win on Friday.

W – Hicks (6-1). 2B: Hennesy. HR: Shackelford. SB: Reeves 2.

Sophomore David Shackelford hit a lead-off home run to start off the bottom of the 7thinning as he drove a shot over the left field fence to put Pima up for good.

The Matadors scored four runs in the 1st inning, but the Aztecs chipped away. Sophomore Jontae Hennesy (Horizon HS) put Pima on the scoreboard in the 3rd inning with an RBI single to bring around sophomore Elijah Reeves (Marana HS).

The Aztecs scored four runs in the 4th inning. They loaded the bases on three straight singles by Shackelford, sophomore Ruben Castro (Tucson Magnet HS) and sophomore Antonio Avila. Sophomore Caleb Herd (Cienega HS) drew a bases loaded walk to score Shackelford. Reeves followed with a two-run RBI single driving in Castro and Avila to tie it up at 4-4. Freshman Collin Senior (Horizon HS) hit a ground-out but brought in Herd to give Pima the lead.

The Aztecs went up 6-4 in the 5th inning when Herd hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to score sophomore Brant Kragel. The Matadors tied it at 6-6 with two runs in the top of the 6th.

Shackelford finished the game 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Herd was 0 for 2 with two RBIs, a run and walk. Reeves went 2 for 4 with two RBIs, a run scored and two steals. Senior finished 2 for 5 with an RBI and Hennesy was 3 for 5 with an RBI.

Sophomore Garrett Hicks (Verrado HS) got the win as he pitched three and two-third innings in relief, giving up no runs on three hits with one strikeout on 43 pitches. Sophomore Diego Alvarez (Sahuarita HS) started the game and threw five and one-third innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on nine hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

The Aztecs and the Matadors lock up for Game 2 on Friday at 2:00 p.m. at the West Campus Aztec Field.

Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez 

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