(Tucson, AZ) The Pima Community College baseball team (9-5, 1-3 in ACCAC) played its first ACCAC conference doubleheader on Tuesday against No. 13 Yavapai College (7-4-1, 1-1).
Sophomore Emilio Corona showed off his power as he hit four home runs on the day finishing 5 for 9 with nine RBIs and four runs scored. Sophomore Jose Enriquez was a combined 4 for 9 with six RBIs and three runs scored. Sophomore Preston Clifford (Sabino HS) finished 3 for 7 with four RBIs and four runs scored.
Game 1: (13) Yavapai College Roughriders 14, Pima CC Aztecs 10 (8 innings)
The Aztecs took the lead after the 3rd inning but the Roughriders scored eight unanswered runs in the late innings.
Down 5-0 in the bottom of the 3rd inning, the Aztecs put up seven runs to take the lead. Clifford put Pima on the board with a 2-run RBI double. Enriquez drove him in with an RBI single. Freshman Trent Kiraly followed with an RBI single of his own to cut it to 5-4.
Corona capped off the inning with a 3-run home run scoring Enriquez and Kiraly to put the Aztecs ahead 7-5. Pima scored all their runs with no outs.
The Aztecs led 7-6 and added to their lead in the 4th inning. After a pair of walks, Enriquez hit a 2-run RBI single driving in Clifford and freshman Gage Mestas. Corona went yard for the second time hitting a solo-shot to center field to make it 10-6.
The Roughriders scored three in the 6th, one in the 7th inning and four in the 8th.
Corona finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs. Enriquez was 2 for 5 with three RBIs and a run. Clifford was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Mestas finished 2 for 4 with two runs.
Sophomore Chaison Miklich took the loss in relief going one-third innings giving up four runs (four earned) on four hits.
YC 2 1 2 1 0 3 1 4 14 18 1
PCC 00 7 3 0 0 0 0 10 10 0
L – Miklich (1-1). 2B – Clifford. HR – Corona 2. SB – Clifford, Loera.
Game 2: Pima CC Aztecs 16, (13) Yavapai College Roughriders 7 (6 innings)
The Aztecs broke open a tie game with 14 runs in the 4th inning.
After hitting a leadoff homer in the 2nd inning, Corona went yard for the fourth time on the day with a 3-run shot in the 4th scoring Mestas and Enriquez putting the Aztecs up 8-2. He also capped off the inning with an RBI double to plate Enriquez again.
Sophomore Romeo Ballesteros (Salpointe Catholic HS) and Clifford each had 2-run RBI singles in the inning while Enriquez had a 2-run RBI double. Enriquez also had another RBI hit.
Corona finished 3 for 5 with five RBIs and two runs while Enriquez went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs. Ballesteros was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Clifford finished 1 for 3 with two RBIs, two runs and two walks. Mestas went 1 for 3 with two runs and two walks.
Freshman Darius Garcia picked up the win as he started the game and pitched four and one-third innings giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
YC 0 0 1 1 5 0 14 18 1
PCC 0 2 0 (14) 0 0 16 14 1
W – Garcia (2-0). 2B – Corona, Enriquez, Adge. 3B – Ballesteros. HR – Corona 2.
The Aztecs will play four games over the next three days against Community Christian College. They start with a single game at the West Campus Aztec Baseball Field on Thursday starting at 1:00 p.m.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Athletics – Raymond Suarez
