Cougar Baseball Sweeps Eastern Arizona

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (16-7, 11-1 ACCAC) won both ends of an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference home doubleheader against Eastern Arizona on Mar. 3. The Cougars rallied for a wild 4-3 victory in the first game and then posted a 12-8 win in the second contest to extend their winning streak to 10-straight games.

In game one, a bases-loaded walk would be the difference to cap off a thrilling Cougar comeback.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, SMCC scored twice to take the lead. Dustin Bermudez tied the game with a solo home run, his first of the season. Davis Heller then hit an RBI double to score Efrain Cervantes.

However, the Gila Monsters responded with two runs in the seventh before Shawn Triplett got the third out with the bases loaded.

Easton Erwin immediately tied the game in SMCC's half of the seventh, starting the frame with his first home run of the year. With two outs, Holden Breeze drew a walk, Bermudez singled and Cervantes drew a walk to load the bases and set up Justin Quinn's dramatic bases-loaded walk to take the lead.

Triplett earned the win for SMCC, getting the final two outs in the seventh. Jake Sansing started the game for South Mountain Community College, tossing five innings with three strikeouts.

In the second game, the Cougars struck for two runs in the first and then scored 10 runs over the final five innings to win their 10th-straight. South Mountain Community College had 17 hits, including seven for extra bases, in the win.

Jake Haze finished 3 for 4 with two doubles, four RBIs and three runs. JD Wadleigh went 3 for 4 with three runs, a double and a walk. Erwin homered for the second time on the day, while Quinn and Heller each had multiple hits.

Quinn started the scoring with an RBI double to plate Luke Hyzdu, who was running for the pitcher. Erwin then delivered an RBI single to score Quinn.

After the Gila Monsters cut the lead to one in the second, SMCC scored three runs in the fourth. Haze collected a two-run double to score Wadleigh and Brendan Blakeman, and he later scored on an error.

Erwin started the fifth with a solo home run, and Bermudez ripped an RBI double to score Haze in the sixth. In the seventh, Haze produced a two-run single, Cervantes recorded an RBI double and Quinn had an RBI single. Bermudez concluded the Cougars' scoring with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Bermudez earned the win after he threw five innings with four strikeouts. He is 2-1 with a 3.43 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 21 innings of work. Michael Sears, Trey Goodrich and Derek Decolati all pitched for SMCC during the game.