Cougar Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader at Scottsdale CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (19-8, 13-7 ACCAC) defeated Scottsdale CC 4-3 (7) and 15-11 (7) in an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference doubleheader in Scottsdale on Mar. 30. In the first game, the Cougars scored two runs in the top of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead, and sophomore Shawn Triplett threw the final two innings to record his league-leading eighth save of the season. In the second game, Holden Breeze, Dustin Bermudez and Paul Sachen each had three hits, and Bermudez added four RBIs as the Cougars recorded 17 hits in seven innings to sweep the Artichokes. 

Game One

SMCC came back from an early deficit to defeat the Artichokes, scoring twice in the sixth to take a lead it would not relinquish. 

Braden Campbell started the sixth with a single and moved to second with one out on a single from Justin Quinn. They both moved up 90 feet on a passed ball and, with two outs, scored on a two-run double from McKay Barney. 

That set up Triplett, who fanned three and worked around a pair of SCC hits in the final two innings to record his eighth save of the year. 

The Artichokes scored three runs off SMCC starter Carter Krosky (4-1) in the first inning, although only one run was earned. After that frame, Crosky settled in and threw five innings with four strikeouts and no walks to earn his fourth win of the season. 

The Cougars chipped away at the lead as Breeze hit a solo home run, his third of the season, in the third. In the fourth inning, Dylan Fesperman scored on a two-out error by the SCC catcher. 

Breeze finished 2-for-4 and added a double to go with the solo shot. Barney added a stolen base and now has a team-high 25 RBIs on the season.  

Game Two

In the second game, SMCC scored seven runs over the final three frames as the teams combined for 27 hits and 13 errors in seven innings. 

Six Cougars recorded multiple hits in the victory. Breeze finished 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBIs and two doubles. Bermudez went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, a double and a run scored, while Sachen was 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. 

Brice Martinez went 2-for-5 with three runs, an RBI and a stolen base and Quinn was 2-for-3 with four runs, two walks and a stolen base. Michael Quinones finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a double and a sacrifice fly. 

SMCC jumped out for two runs in the first as Breeze scored Quinn on an RBI double, and Bermudez drove him home with an RBI single. In the top of the second, the Cougars scored six runs to take an 8-1 advantage. Breeze had another RBI double, Quinones added an RBI single and Sachen produced an RBI single in his second at-bat of the frame. 

The Artichokes chipped away at the lead, scoring four times in the third and five in the fourth to take a 10-8 lead. 

The Cougars responded with five runs n the top of the fifth to reclaim the lead. Sachen scored on an RBI single from Martinez, Barney brought home Martinez with an RBI single, and Bermudez cleared the bases with a three-run double that scored Quinn, Breeze and Barney. 

Scottsdale CC scored a run in the sixth, and in the seventh, the Cougars scored two insurance runs. Martinez scored on a passed ball, and Quinones plated Quinn with a sac fly. 

Drew Woody started the game on the mound and went 2.0 innings with four strikeouts and three earned runs. Alec Stanfield threw the third inning and had a strikeout and two walks. Matt Bohnert (2-3) went 1.2 innings with two strikeouts and one hit to earn the win.

Ben Meyerson recorded two outs, Trent Adams tossed 1.1 innings with two K's and Ryan Figueroa earned the save by fanning the final batter of the game. 

After 27 games on the road, the Cougars host Gateway Community College for an ACCAC doubleheader in their 2021 home opener on Saturday, Apr. 3. The first game starts at noon, and fans are welcome to attend 2021 Cougar baseball and softball home games with certain restrictions.