(Prescott, AZ) The Pima Community College baseball team (36-12, 22-10 in ACCAC) dropped a close first game but responded with a run rule victory on Saturday in its ACCAC conference doubleheader at Yavapai College (13-33, 7-23).
Sophomore Antonio Avila finished the day going 2 for 6 with three RBIs and three runs scored while fellow sophomore Caleb Herd (Cienega HS) also finished 2 for 6 with an RBI, three runs scored and two walks. Sophomore Jontae Hennesy (Horizon HS) was 3 for 7 with two RBIs, three runs and two walks.
Game 1: Yavapai Roughriders 4, (14) Pima Aztecs 3
The rally fell short for the Aztecs in the 7th inning.
Down 4-2, Avila led off the 7th with a double. Herd followed with a single to put the tying run on base. With one out in the inning, sophomore Nick Arias (Tucson Magnet HS) hit a fielder’s choice to third base, which brought in Avila but Herd was forced out at second base. Sophomore David Shackelford grounded out to end the threat and the game.
The Aztecs went up 1-0 in the 1st inning when freshman Collin Senior (Horizon HS) hit an RBI single to score Shackelford, who drew a two-out walk in the inning.
Trailing 2-1, the Aztecs tied it up in the 5th inning when Hennesy hit an RBI double to plate Herd.
The Roughriders scored two runs in the 6th inning to take the lead for good.
Hennesy finished the game 1 for 4 with an RBI while Senior went 1 for 2 with an RBI. Avila and Shackelford each finished 1 for 3 with a run scored and Herd was 1 for 2 with a run.
Sophomore J.T. Drake took the loss as he pitched six innings, giving up four runs (two earned) on six hits with one strikeout on 54 pitches.
PCC 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 6 1
YC 0 0 0 2 0 2 x 4 6 0
L – Drake (7-3). 2B: Avila, Hennesy.
Game 2: (14) Pima Aztecs 23, Yavapai Roughriders 0 (7 innings)
The Aztecs scored a season-high 23 runs on 14 hits for the run-rule win to earn the split.
Freshman Maclain Roberts got the win as he pitched five innings, giving up two hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Pima got the bats going in the 1st inning as they scored eight runs. Avila hit a two-run RBI single to score sophomores Brant Kragel and Ruben Castro (Tucson Magnet HS) to make it 4-0. Three batters later, Arias capped off the inning with a two-run RBI double bringing around Herd and Hennesy.
MacLain Roberts – Photo/Stephanie van Latum
After scoring two runs in the 2nd inning, the Aztecs added seven more insurance runs in the 3rd. Kragel drove a two-run RBI single to center field to score Hennesy and Arias. Freshman Chase Cummings brought in Senior and Kragel with his two-run RBI double to put the score at 15-0.
The Aztecs scored four runs in the 5th inning and two runs in the 6th. They finished the game with 10 walks.
Arias finished the game going 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored while Hennesy finished 2 for 3 with an RBI, three runs and two walks. Kragel went 1 for 1 with two RBIs, three runs and a walk.
Cummings was 1 for 1 with three RBIs, two runs and a walk. Avila closed out the game going 1 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs. Senior, Castro and Herd each scored two runs and a walk.
PCC 8 2 7 0 4 2 0 23 14 0
YC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2
W – Roberts (5-1). 2B: Cummings, Castro, Arias. 3B: Richards. SB: Avila, Cummings, Herd.
The Aztecs are back at the West Campus Aztec Field on Tuesday when they host a non-conference doubleheader against the Scottsdale Post Grad team. First game starts at noon.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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