(Thatcher, AZ) The Pima Community College baseball team (16-10, 5-7 in ACCAC) picked up its first ACCAC conference sweep of the season on Saturday at Eastern Arizona College (8-14, 1-9).
Sophomore Jose Enriquez finished the day going 2 for 5 with four RBIs and three walks. Sophomore Romeo Ballesteros (Salpointe Catholic HS) closed it out going 4 for 7 with two RBIs, three runs scored and two walks and sophomore Preston Clifford (Sabino HS) was 2 for 6 with five runs scored and three walks.
Game 1: Pima CC Aztecs 6, Eastern Arizona College Gila Monsters 4
The teams matched runs in the 2nd and 3rd inning but the Gila Monsters took a 4-3 lead after the 6thinning.
The Aztecs responded with three runs in the top of the 7th. Freshman Gage Mestas tied the game with a sacrifice-fly RBI scoring sophomore Fernando Loera. With the bases loaded, Ballesteros scored on a wild pitch to move the runners over and give Pima the lead at 5-4. Enriquez followed with a sac-fly RBI to plate Clifford.
Enriquez scored a run in the 2nd inning and hit an RBI single in the 3rd as he finished 1 for 2 with two RBIs and a run. Clifford went 1 for 3 with two runs. Loera and Ballesteros each went 2 for 3 with a run. Mestas finished 1 for 3 with an RBI and freshman Trent Kiraly went 1 for 2 with an RBI.
Sophomore Jaren Jackson picked up the win as he pitched six innings giving up four runs (four earned) on six hits with eight strikeouts and two walks. Sophomore Wilson Bannister picked up his first save of the season after pitching the 7th and getting a double play to end the game.
PCC 0 2 1 0 0 0 3 6 9 0
EAC 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 4 6 0
W – Jackson (4-1). S – Bannister (1). 2B – Stucky. SB – Enriquez, Pintor.
Game 2: Pima CC Aztecs 11, Eastern Arizona College Gila Monsters 9 (10 innings)
The Aztecs scored two runs in the top of the 10th to take the lead for good. After giving up a lead-off single, freshman Liam O’Brien (Salpointe Catholic HS) struck out the side to end the game.
Ballesteros hit a lead-off single to open the 10th and freshman Andrew Maxwell drew a walk. They both scored when Clifford reached on an error.
The Gila Monsters scored five runs in the 2nd inning as Pima trailed 5-4 but the Aztecs got a boost in the 4th when Ballesteros hit a 2-run homer scoring Loera to make it 6-5. Sophomore Emilio Corona hit a lead-off triple in the 5th and scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-5.
Clifford also hit a lead-off triple to begin the top-half of the 6th and scored on Enriquez’s sacrifice-fly RBI to make it 8-5.
The Aztecs led 9-5 but Eastern Arizona scored three runs in the 6th and one in the 7th to tie the game.
Ballesteros finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Enriquez went 1 for 3 with two RBIs and two walks. Mestas hit a 2-run RBI single in the 2nd inning and was 1 for 5 with three RBIs and a run. Clifford went 1 for 3 with three runs and two walks.
O’Brien picked up the win pitching one and one-third innings giving up one hit with four strikeouts.
PCC 1 3 0 2 1 2 0 0 0 2 11 10 4
EAC 0 5 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 10 9 2
W – O’Brien (1-0). 2B – Enriquez. 3B – Corona, Clifford. HR – Ballesteros. SB – Pintor, Loera, Stremick.
The Aztecs will play at Paradise Valley Community College on Tuesday in an ACCAC doubleheader. First pitch is at noon.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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