(Tucson, AZ) The Pima Community College baseball team (13-3, 3-3 in ACCAC) came away with a third straight split in ACCAC conference play on Saturday as it hosted GateWay Community College (4-6, 1-5) on Saturday at the West Campus Aztec Field.
Freshman Jackson Glueck finished the day 4 for 6 with four RBIs, two runs scored and two walks. Sophomore Collin Senior (Horizon HS) closed out the day 3 for 7 with an RBI and two runs scored. Freshman Andre Castro (Pusch Ridge Christian HS) took the loss in a relief appearance while freshman Sal Valenzuela (Nogales HS) got the win in his start.
L – Castro (1-1). 2B: Senior. SB: Martinez.
Game 1: GateWay Geckos 5, (23) Pima Aztecs 4
The Geckos broke the tie with three runs in the 6thinning. The Aztecs rallied with two runs in the 7th inning but left the tying run on base in the loss.
Sophomore Caden Richards drew a lead-off walk to open the bottom of the 7th inning. Senior hit a double to put two runners on base. Sophomore Nolan Ganter (Pinnacle HS) hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to right field to score Richards, and Senior scored off a throwing error.
Freshman Sean Barta kept the inning alive with a single with two outs but freshman Zach Plasschaert grounded out to end the game.
Glueck tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI single in the 3rd inning to bring in freshman Leon Cereceres.
Down 2-1 in the 4th inning, the Aztecs tied it again when Cereceres hit an RBI single to plate freshman Ramon Martinez.
Glueck finished the game 2 for 3 with an RBI and a walk while Senior went 2 for 4 with a run scored. Cereceres was 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run. Richards went 1 for 3 with a run and a walk and Ganter finished 1 for 2 with an RBI and a walk.
Castro took the loss as he pitched two innings, giving up three runs (three earned) on four hits with one strikeout. Sophomore Maclain Roberts got the start and threw five innings, giving up two runs (none earned) on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
W – Valenzuela (2-1). 2B: Senior, Glueck. 3B: MacDonald. SB: Alvarez 2, Cereceres, Barta.
Game 2: (23) Pima Aztecs 11, GateWay Geckos 4
The Pima bats came alive in the 2nd and 5thinnings as the Aztecs salvaged the split.
Glueck hit an RBI double to put the Aztecs on the scoreboard and Barta followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. Sophomore Andrew Grenert (Horizon HS) hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to bring in Barta. Freshman Ernie Alvarez (Canyon del Oro HS) and Cereceres took advantage of GateWay’s miscues and each scored a run to cap off the inning as the Aztecs went up 5-0.
The Geckos rallied off two runs in the top of the 5th inning but the Aztecs countered with another five-run frame in the bottom half of the inning.
Senior hit an RBI double to drive in Richards, who drew a lead-off walk. After Ganter reached base off an error, Glueck followed with a two-run RBI single to score Senior and Ganter to make it 8-2. Freshman Matt MacDonald brought in Glueck after hitting an RBI triple and would reach home plate after Alvarez’s ground out RBI. The Aztecs led 10-2.
Richards hit an RBI single in the 8th inning and finished the game 1 for 3 with an RBI, a run scored and two walks. Glueck went 2 for 3 with three RBIs, two runs scored and walk. Senior and MacDonald each finished 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run while Ganter was 1 for 5 with two runs. Barta closed it out going 1 for 4 with an RBI and run. Alvarez and Grenert each had an RBI and a run.
Valenzuela picked up the win after he pitched five innings, giving up two runs (two earned) on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks.
The Aztecs will be back at the West Campus Aztec Field on Tuesday when they host an ACCAC conference doubleheader against Scottsdale Community College. First game starts at noon.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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