SMCC Baseball Splits with Scottsdale CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (22-19, 14-12 ACCAC) split an ACCAC two-game series with Scottsdale CC, winning 5-2 at home on April 2 before falling 8-6 on the road on April 3. Redshirt sophomore Matthew Lighthall tossed seven solid innings, and freshman Joe Terranova went 3 for 4 with two runs, an RBI, and a stolen base in the 5-2 victory. The next day, sophomore Wylie Waters had four hits and fellow sophomores Karsen Waslefsky and Niko Rosell added three apiece, but the Artichokes posted a walk-off, two-run home run in the ninth to defeat the Cougars. 

April 2 Recap 

The Cougars, led by standout performances from Lighthall and Terranova, scored three runs in the first. This proved to be more than enough for Lighthall, who improved to 2-2 on the season with the victory. He showcased his skill by scattering six hits, two earned runs, and a walk with two strikeouts over seven innings. Freshman David Galindo also played a crucial role, tossing two innings of scoreless relief with two K's to earn his third save. 

In the first, freshman Marcus Romero began the frame by reaching on an error and moving to second on the play. He scored on an RBI single from freshman Joe Terranova, who, after stealing second, then scored on an RBI single from sophomore Wylie Waters. The third run would come as a sacrifice fly from sophomore Carlos Vega to plate Waters.

SMCC tacked on a run in the fourth on an SCC error, and Terranova scored in the seventh on another Artichoke miscue. Waters finished 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI, and Waslefsky went 2 for 4 with a double. 

April 3 Recap

The Cougars showed their resilience, battling back from a 6-2 deficit to tie the game at 6-6 in the ninth. However, SCC ultimately pulled out the victory on the walk-off, two-run home run, ending the game in their favor. 

Trailing 6-2 at the start of the seventh, Waters cut the lead to 6-3 with an RBI single to score Terranova. In the eighth, freshman Raul Parada and sophomore Jaden Miranda delivered two-out RBI singles, and in the ninth, Waslefsky's RBI single scored freshman Brady Lord to tie the game. 

Despite the loss, several Cougars players stood out with their performances. Waters, in particular, had a stellar game, finishing 4 for 5 with the RBI. Waslefsky also made a significant impact, going 3 for 5 with two runs and an RBI. Rosell and Vega also had notable performances, finishing 3 for 5 with a run scored and having a multi-hit game with an RBI, respectively. Parada contributed two RBIs and a run scored. 

Sophomore Alex Urias-Calvillo (2-3) took the loss in relief for SMCC. He allowed two hits and two earned runs in 1.2 innings of work with one strikeout. Sophomore Fabian Ibarra started the game for the Cougars and went 2.0 innings with three hits, four earned runs, three walks, and one strikeout. Freshmen Christopher Mata and Luis Martin Romero also saw time in relief for the Cougars.