(Mesa, AZ) The Pima Community College baseball team (17-12, 10-8 in ACCAC) headed out on the road for an ACCAC conference doubleheader at Mesa Community College (18-11, 10-8).
The No. 25 ranked Aztecs gave up a walk-off in the first game but showcased their offensive firepower to win the second game.
Freshman Cooper Kruk (Catalina Foothills HS) closed out the game going 4-for-9 with six RBIs, three runs scored and two home runs. Freshman Adriel Figueroa-Brito finished 3-for-8 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Sophomore Leon Cereceres, along with freshmen Ezra Vidal (Sahuarita HS) and Damian Lorta (Desert View HS) each had an RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Cam Grenert (Horizon HS) took the loss in the first game and freshman Jesse Neretlis picked up the win in the second game.
Game 1: Mesa Thunderbirds 7, (25) Pima Aztecs 6
The Aztecs held a 6-2 lead after the top of the 3rd inning but the Thunderbirds scored five unanswered runs to snag the first game.
Mesa’s Luke Mann cleared the bases with two outs with a walk-off three-run RBI double in the 7th inning.
Figueroa-Brito put the Aztecs on the board in the 2nd inning with an RBI single to score sophomore Matt MacDonald.
The Aztecs scored five runs in the 3rd inning. Lorta hit an RBI single to score Cereceres to tie the game. Kruk followed with a three-run homer to make it 5-2. Sophomore Jackson Glueck reached on an error and two batters later, scored on an RBI single by MacDonald.
Kruk closed out the game going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. MacDonald finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run while Cereceres and Vidal each went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Lorta was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run while Figueroa-Brito finished 1-for-3 with an RBI.
took the loss as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up three runs (three earned) on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
PCC 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 6 11 0
MCC 2 0 1 1 0 0 3 7 9 1
L – Grenert (1-4). 2B: Kruk. HR: Kruk. SB: MacDonald 2, Figueroa-Brito, Cereceres, Martinez.
Game 2: (25) Pima Aztecs 15, Mesa Thunderbirds 10
The Aztecs held off the Thunderbirds to take the second game as the teams combined for 25 runs and 29 hits.
The Aztecs led 5-4 and scored four runs in the 5th inning. Figueroa-Brito hit a two-run home run to left field to bring in sophomore Mike Jones (Canyon del Oro HS). Freshman Juan Hernandez (Tucson Magnet HS) and Cereceres had RBI hits in the inning as Pima widened their lead to 9-4.
Pima led 9-7 and scored another four runs in the 7th inning. Sophomore Owen Wade (Pinnacle HS), Vidal and sophomore Max Leyva (Tucson Magnet HS) hit RBI singles in the inning as the Aztecs closed out the inning up 13-7. Mesa cut into Pima’s lead again with two runs in the 7th inning and one run in the 8th to cut it to 13-10.
Kruk came through again in the 9th inning with a two run home run to score freshman Aciel Guillen (Salpointe Catholic HS) to help put the game away.
Kruk finished the game going 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored while Wade went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs. Figueroa-Brito was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Jones closed out the game, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs. Cereceres and Vidal each had an RBI and a run scored. Hernandez was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs.
Neretlis started the game and pitched four and one-third innings, giving up six runs (three earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks on 87 pitches.
PCC 1 1 3 0 4 0 4 0 2 15 18 5
MCC 0 0 4 0 2 1 2 1 0 10 11 0
W – Neretlis (3-1). 2B: Kruk, Lorta, Hernandez, Wade. HR: Figueroa-Brito, Kruk. SB: Figueroa-Brito 2.
The Aztecs will continue to be road warriors this Saturday as they play an ACCAC conference doubleheader at Paradise Valley Community College. First game starts at 12:00 p.m.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
Click on Logo
