Offense Carries SMCC Baseball to Sweep of Gateway CC

PHOENIX --- 

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (3-1) swept a non-conference doubleheader at Gateway Community College on Feb. 23. The Cougars won the first game, 10-4, behind a solid offensive effort throughout the line-up as eight of the nine batters reached base safely at least once. In the second game, the Cougars won 14-9 as the team amassed 12 stolen bases to go with 11 hits and 12 walks. The Cougars totaled 24 runs, 18 hits and 15 stolen bases in the two victories. 

Game One

The offensive flexed its depth and versatility in the victory. The Cougars had four extra-base hits, including two triples and a home run. 

McKay Barney finished 2-for-4 with a triple, home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Holden Breeze added a triple and run scored while Andrew Lucas had a double, two runs scored, a stolen base and an RBI.

Brice Martinez drew three walks, scored three runs, stole a base and had a base hit. Esteban Hernandez had two RBIs, scored a run, stole a base and drew a walk, while Brodie Marino had a team-high three RBIs to go with a hit and a walk. 

After GWCC struck for a run in the first, the Cougars reclaimed the lead with two runs in the second and five runs in the third. 

In the second, Lucas hit a one-out to start the rally and Hernandez and Marino earned bases-loaded walks to earn easy RBIs. In the third, Dustin Bermudez reached on an error with one out and then scored on an RBI triple from Barney. He scored on an RBI groundout from Lucas, and Marino later roped a two-run single to center after errors extended the inning. 

The Geckos got back to within 7-4 in the bottom of the third, but Hernandez added a sac fly in the fifth, Bermudez added another in the sixth, and Barney raced around the diamond for an inside-the-park home run in the sixth to complete SMCC's scoring. 

Bermudez started the game on the mound for SMCC, finishing with three strikeouts to go with five walks and four runs in 2.1 innings of work. He also a sac fly and drew a walk in addition to his work on the mound. 

Trent Adams (1-0) relieved Bermudez in the third and got two outs to end the rally and earn the victory. Carter Krosky tossed the next three innings, recording four strikeouts. Ben Meyerson then threw the seventh and had a strikeout. 

Game Two Recap

The Cougar offense continued to roll in the second game, amassing 11 hits, 12 stolen bases and 14 runs to sweep the doubleheader from the Geckos. 

Clayton Kempski had a team-high three hits in the win, scoring a run and stealing two bases. Bermudez finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs, a run scored and a double, and Barney went 2-for-4 with two runs, two walks, a triple, three stolen bases and an RBI. 

Breeze scored a team-high three runs, finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI and three walks. Lucas drew five walks, scoring twice and stealing four bases without recording an official at-bat. Michael Quinones scored two runs and added an RBI and a stolen base, Gillis Champagne scored two runs, drew a walk and stole a base, and Braden Campbell added two RBIs. 

The Cougars struck early and scored five runs over the first two innings. Bermudez had an RBI double, Barney had an RBI triple, and Quinones had a sac fly in the first. In the second, Champagne scored on an RBI single by Breeze, and Bermudez then brought him home with an RBI single. 

After the Geckos tied the game at 5-5 in the fourth, the Cougars struck for three runs in the top of the sixth. Barney dropped down a bunt single with two outs and then moved to second on a Lucas walk. Quinones plated Barney with an RBI single, and he and Lucas later scored on a Gecko error. 

In the seventh, Champagne and Kempski singled and scored to start the frame, coming home on an error and a Justin Quinn sac fly, respectively. In the eighth, Campbell delivered a two-out, two-run single, and in the ninth, Paul Sachen scored on a balk, and a Bermudez sac fly scored Breeze. 

On the mound, Nolan Livsey started for SMCC and had three strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work. Shawn Triplett (1-0) worked the fifth and sixth inning, fanning three and allowing one hit to earn the win. Esteban Hernandez had a strikeout in 1.1. innings of work. Finally, Derek Decolati closed out the game with 1.2 innings of work. 

The Cougars return to action on Saturday, Feb. 27, with a doubleheader at Yavapai College. Game one starts at noon.