Cougar Baseball Continues Strong Play at Glendale CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (14-4) swept a non-conference doubleheader at Glendale CC on Mar. 17, winning 10-4 (7) and 6-5. In the first game, Brice Martinez, Andrew Lucas and Braden Campbell each had three hits, and Dustin Bermudez earned his first win of the season on the mound. In the second game, McKay Barney had two hits and two RBIs, while Trent Adams and Lucas fanned five Gauchos and held GCC to two hits over the final 3.1 innings of the game. 

Game One

The SMCC offense produced 13 hits and scored six runs over the first four innings en route to a 10-4, seven-inning victory. 

Martinez finished 3-for-5 with a double, stolen base and a run scored, while Lucas was 3-for-5 with two runs, an RBI and a double. Campbell went 3-for-4 with an RBI and stolen base, and Michael Quinones finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Holden Breeze drew three walks and scored a run, while McKay Barney had an RBI double, a run scored and a stolen base. 

With two outs in the first, Breeze drew a walk followed by RBI singles from Quinones and Campbell. The third run of the inning came home when a pitch hit Esteban Hernandez with the bases loaded. 

In the fourth, Martinez hit a one-out single and moved to third with two outs after a single from Lucas. Breeze drew a walk to load the bases, and Quinones delivered an RBI single to score Martinez and Lucas. Campbell then plated Breeze with an RBI single to give SMCC a 6-1 lead.  

After the Gauchos cut the lead to 6-4 in the fifth, the Cougars responded with four runs in the seventh. Campbell started the frame with a single and moved to second on a walk by Paul Sachen. Hernandez then put down an RBI bunt that scored both Gillis Champagne, who pinch ran for Campbell, and Sachen. Barney then had an RBI single, and he later scored on when Lucas reached on an error. 

Bermudez (1-0) threw 4.0 innings with one strikeout and three hits. Ben Meyerson earned the save with three innings in relief, fanning three and walking one. 

Game Two

The Cougars scored three runs in the seventh inning to take the lead, and Adams and Lucas held off a GCC rally to give SMCC its fourth win of the week. 

Adams (4-0) earned his fourth win of the season with 1.1 innings of relief and two strikeouts. Lucas recorded his second save of the year with two innings of relief, allowing one unearned run to go with three strikeouts and two walks. Ronan Kopp started the game for SMCC, allowing one earned run in 4.0 innings to go with eight strikeouts. TJ Czyz tossed 1.2 innings of relief with one hit and three strikeouts. 

Offensively, Barney went 2-for-4 with a run, two RBIs and a triple, while Martinez scored two runs and had two hits. At the plate, Lucas added a triple, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base.

In the first inning, Martinez reached on an error and moved to second on a wild pitch. He then scored on an RBI single by Justin Quinn, and Lucas brought him home with a triple. Barney then got Lucas home to give SMCC an early 3-0 advantage. 

The Gauchos crept back into the game with single runs in the first, fourth, fifth and sixth to take a 4-3 lead. 

In the seventh, the Cougars scored three runs to reclaim the lead. Martinez scored on an RBI single from Barney, and Lucas scored on an RBI single from Campbell. Breeze plated the final run of the inning with an RBI fielder's choice. 

The Gauchos scored an unearned run in the eighth, but Lucas struck out the final batter of the game with the tying run on second. 

SMCC returns to conference play with a doubleheader at Cochise College on Saturday, Mar. 20. The first game starts at noon.