(Tucson, AZ) The Pima Community College baseball team (15-3, 5-3 in ACCAC) picked up its first ACCAC conference sweep on Tuesday as it hosted Scottsdale Community College (10-8, 2-6) at the West Campus Aztec Baseball Field.
Sophomore Caden Richards closed out the day 3 for 5 with three RBIs, three runs scored and three walks while fellow sophomore Nolan Ganter (Pinnacle HS) closed out the day going 2 for 7 with two RBIs, two runs and a walk. After struggling in the first game, freshman Jackson Glueck’s bat came alive in the second game and finished the day 4 for 8 with five RBIs and a run. Freshman Luis Pablo Navarro (Walden Grove HS) and sophomore Lucas Casey (Canyon del Oro HS) produced quality starters on the mound.
W – Navarro (4-0). 2B: Barta. HR: MacDonald, Ganter. SB: Richards, Martinez.
Game 1: (23) Pima Aztecs 5, Scottsdale Artichokes 0: Navarro got the win as he threw six innings, giving up four hits with six strikeouts and two walks on 99 pitches.
Sophomore Nate Gray (Queen Creek HS) pitched the final inning and had one strikeout.
The Aztecs got on the board with four runs in the 3rd inning. Freshman Matt MacDonald got it started with a lead-off home run to right field. Freshman Ramon Martinez reached base on a walk, and two batters later, was driven in by Richards’ RBI single. Ganter made it 4-0 after he hit a two-run homer that sailed over the center field fence.
The Aztecs got an insurance run in the 6th inning as freshman Sean Barta scored on MacDonald’s groundout.
MacDonald finished the game 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Richards went 1 for 1 with an RBI, a run scored and two walks. Ganter closed it out going 1 for 3 with two RBIs and a run while Barta finished 2 for 2 with a run.
W – Casey (2-1). 2B: Glueck 3, Cereceres 2, Richards, Plasschaert.
Game 2: (23) Pima Aztecs 8, Scottsdale Artichokes 6
The Aztecs scored five runs in the first two innings and held off a pair of rallies for the win.
After finishing 0 for 3 in the first game, Glueck hit a two-run RBI double in the 1st inning to score Richards and Ganter. Freshman Zach Plasschaert followed with an RBI double to plate Glueck as the Aztecs took a 3-0 lead.
Richards knocked in sophomores Andrew Grenert and Leon Cereceres with his RBI double in the 2nd inning to make it 5-0.
The Artichokes cut into Pima’s lead with one in the 3rd inning and three runs in the 6th to cut it to 5-4, but the Aztecs countered with two runs in the bottom-half of the 6th.
Glueck came through again with another two-run RBI hit as he drove in Richards and Ganter once again. The Aztecs led 7-4.
Glueck wasn’t done as he added some insurance with an RBI double to plate freshman Max Leyva (Tucson Magnet HS) in the 8th.
The Artichokes scored two runs in the top of the 9th but their rally was halted on the basepaths.
Glueck finished the game going 4 for 5 with five RBIs, a run scored and three doubles while Richards was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Ganter went 1 for 4 with two runs scored. Plasschaert was 1 for 3 with an RBI.
Casey got the win after he pitched five innings, giving up one run (one earned) on six hits with six strikeouts and three walks on 87 pitches. Sophomore Tsubasa Tomii threw three strong innings in relief, giving up one hit with two strikeouts.
The Aztecs will hit the road on Saturday when they play at Phoenix College in an ACCAC conference doubleheader. The first game starts at 12:00 p.m.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
Click on Logo
