SMCC Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader at Eastern Arizona

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (12-4, 9-3 ACCAC) swept an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference doubleheader at Eastern Arizona on Mar. 16, winning 3-0 (7) and 13-11. In the first game, Carter Krosky tossed a complete-game shutout with six strikeouts, while, offensively, Holden Breeze scored two runs, and McKay Barney had two RBIs. In the second game, the Cougars and Gila Monsters exchanged leads, but SMCC scored runs in the sixth and the eighth to complete the sweep. 

Game One

Krosky (3-0) was outstanding on the hill for the Cougars, needing 72 pitches to get 21 outs. He worked around five hits and did not walk a batter. In five appearances and three starts this season, Krosky sports a 0.44 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 20.2 innings of work.

SMCC scored a run in the second as Breeze walked and eventually came home on a wild pitch. The Cougars added two runs in the sixth when Andrew Lucas and Breeze strung together consecutive one-out singles. They then scored on a two-run triple by Barney, his third three-base hit of the season. 

Esteban Hernandez added a base hit and stolen base in the win. 

Game Two

In a wild, wind-fueled game, the Cougars outlasted the Gila Monsters to sweep the twin-bill. 

With the game tied 10-10 in the sixth inning, Brodie Marino laced a two-out double, and Paul Sachen replaced him as a courtesy runner. He moved to third and then scored on a pair of wild pitches. 

In the eighth, the Cougars added a pair of insurance runs. Hernandez started the inning with a single and moved to second with one out. He then advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, Brice Martinez drew a walk and also scored on a passed ball. 

Those runs stood up for Drew Woody (1-0), who tossed three innings of one-hit baseball with two strikeouts, and Shawn Triplett, who threw the final two innings to earn his fourth save of the year. 

Offensively, Breeze, Hernandez and Justin Quinn had two hits in the win. Breeze finished 2-for-5 with two runs, four RBIs, a double and a home run. Hernandez went 2-for-6 with a run, an RBI and a triple, while Quinn went 2-for-5 with a run and two stolen bases. Martinez added three runs, two RBIs, two walks and two stolen bases. 

In the first inning, SMCC scored six runs as Breeze recorded a two-run double, Dylan Fesperman had an RBI single, Dustin Bermudez drew a bases-loaded walk, Barney scored on a passed ball, and Martinez had an RBI single. 

After Eastern Arizona scored a run in the first, Breeze smashed a two-run home in the second to score Lucas. Hernandez later added an RBI triple to score Bermudez. 

However, the Gila Monsters scored two runs in the second, six in the third and one in the fourth to take a 10-9 lead. SMCC tied the game in the fifth when Barney drew a bases-loaded walk to score Martinez. 

Nolan Livsey, Trent Adams, Ben Meyerson and Derek Decolati all saw time on the mound during the game for SMCC. 

The Cougars return to action with a doubleheader at Glendale CC on Mar. 17. The first game starts at noon.