SMCC Baseball Splits Season-Opening Doubleheader at GCC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (1-1) split its first two games of the 2021 season, falling 4-1 before posting a 9-3 victory over Glendale Community College in a doubleheader at GCC Feb. 20. In the first game, the Gauchos struck for two early runs and held off a late SMCC charge to claim the win. In game two, the Cougars exploded for six runs in the top of the fifth to claim their first win in nearly a year due to the pandemic. 

Game One

The Gauchos scored two unearned runs in the first and two more in the fifth to hold off a Cougar rally. In the top of the seventh, with two outs and the bases loaded, sophomore Justin Quinn just missed a grand slam before the wind knocked the ball down and into the glove of the centerfielder. 

Freshman Matt Bohnert started the game for SMCC and had a solid outing. He struck out five and allowed two hits in three innings of work. He surrendered two unearned runs and did not walk any batters. 

Kyle Ponzo and TJ Czyz saw time in relief. Ponzo pitched two innings and had three strikeouts, while Czyz tossed the sixth and had a strikeout. 

At the plate, Holden Breeze, Andrew Lucas, Gillis Champagne and Esteban Hernandez had base hits for the Cougars. Breeze drew two walks and had an RBI sac fly to score Champagne in the fifth.

Game Two

The SMCC offense erupted for nine runs and 15 hits to earn the 9-3 victory. Breeze, Quinn, Hernandez and McKay Barney all had multi-hit games and Quinn and Hernandez each multiple RBIs. 

Quinn finished a home run short of hitting for the cycle, collecting his first double and triple of the year to go 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Breeze scored three times, added an RBI and went 3-for-5 at the plate.

Barney was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.  Michael Quinones and Braden Campbell also had doubles in the win. 

Gillis Champagne scored on an RBI single from Hernandez to start the scoring in the top of the second. 

The Cougars added two runs in the top of the fourth. Clayton Kempski drew a walk with two outs, and Paul Sachen replaced him as a courtesy runner. He then moved to second on a wild pitch and third on an error by the catcher. Breeze drove him home with an RBI single, and then he came around to score on Quinn's triple. 

In the fifth, Campbell started things with a double and then scored on an RBI single from Barney. After Michael Quinones drew a walk with one out, Hernandez hit an RBI single, and Kempski dropped down a bunt single to score another run. Breeze singled to load the bases, and two more runs came across on the double by Quinn. Dustin Bermudez concluded the frame's scoring with an RBI single to plate Breeze. 

On the mound, Alec Stanfield started the game to make his SMCC debut. He fanned five and worked around three walks and one hit in four innings of work. 

Carter Krosky tossed the fifth inning, where he struck out three to earn the win. Andrew Lucas threw the sixth and allowed one hit and one run. Derek Decolati tossed the seventh and scattered two hits. Drew Woody pitched the eighth inning, allowing two runs to go with two strikeouts. Finally, Trey Goodrich pitched the ninth and allowed one hit. 

The Cougars continue their 2021 season with a doubleheader at Gateway Community College on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Game one starts at noon.