SMCC Baseball Splits with Phoenix College, Sweeps Eastern Arizona

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team split a non-conference two-game series with Phoenix College on Feb. 16-17 and swept an ACCAC home doubleheader against Eastern Arizona on Feb. 20. The Cougars struck for 22 runs and 24 hits against the Bears but got stung by an extra-inning rally in the game one loss. Against the Gila Monsters, the SMCC offense continued to produce, racking 18 runs and 18 hits to improve to 9-8 overall and 3-1 in the ACCAC. 

Phoenix College Game One Recap

The Cougars fell 10-9 in 11 innings at Phoenix College on Friday, Feb. 16. Sophomore Niko Rosell and freshman Marcus Romero each had three hits, and freshmen Joe Terranova and Landon Springmeyer added two apiece. 

After the Bears scored a run in the first, SMCC erupted for five runs in the third. Terranova drove in two with a bases-loaded single, and Romero and Springmeyer added RBI singles. 

Phoenix College would cut into the lead with two runs in the fifth, but SMCC answered with runs in the sixth and seventh to reclaim a 7-3 advantage. However, the Bears would score three runs in the seventh and two in the ninth to send the game into extra innings. 

After SMCC pushed a run across in the top of the 11th, Phoenix College recorded the walk-off victory with two runs in the bottom half. 

All 13 Cougar hits were singles, and Rosell finished 3 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI. Romero was also 3 for 5 and added four stolen bases, two RBIs, and a run scored. Terranova was 2 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs, and Springmeyer was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored. 

Sophomore Dominic Chacon finished 1 for 3 with three runs and a stolen base, and sophomore Karsen Waslefsky walked four times, scored a run, and stole a base. 

Freshman Max Mazinter started the game for SMCC and went 4.1 innings with four strikeouts and one earned run. Sophomore Alex Urias-Calvillo, freshman Ian Armbruster, freshman Matt Elliot, and sophomore Kaden Gray saw time in relief, and Gray took the loss. 

Phoenix College Game Two Recap

The Cougars rebounded with a commanding 13-0, seven-inning home win on Saturday, Feb. 17. Waslefsky, Rosell, Terranova, and sophomore Jaden Miranda all had two hits in the victory, and freshman Luis Martin Romero tossed a complete-game shutout with five strikeouts. 

Martin Romero was exceptional on the bump to earn the first victory of his Cougar career. He scattered six hits and walked zero over seven frames to improve to 1-1 on the season. 

Offensively, the Cougars struck early for two runs in the first and then added four in the third and five in the fourth. They added a single run in the sixth and seventh to extend their lead. 

The Cougars totaled eight extra-base hits, including seven doubles. Rosell had a pair of two-base hits and finished 2 for 2 with two runs, four RBIs, and a sac fly. Waslefsky was 2 for 3 with two runs, a walk, and a double, and Miranda collected a double and a triple en route to finishing 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored. 

Terranova went 2 for 3 with two runs, two RBIs, a walk, and two stolen bases, and Romero added a double, two runs, and a stolen base. Chacon was 1 for 2 with two walks, three runs, and a stolen base. 

Sophomore Wylie Waters had the seventh SMCC double, and freshman Cameron Masters-Doble added a pinch-hit RBI. 

Eastern Arizona Game One Recap

SMCC's offense came out firing on all cylinders and scored 10 runs over the first three innings as the Cougars defeated the Gila Monsters 10-2 in seven innings. 

After EAC scored a run in the first inning, Terranova delivered a two-out, two-run single in the bottom half of the frame. In the second, freshman Christopher Mata scored on a balk, and the third featured a Chacon solo home run and RBI singles from Mata, Romero, and Chacon as the Cougars batted around. 

Chacon finished 3 for 3 with two runs, two RBIs, and a walk, and Mata was 2 for 3 with two runs and a run drive in. Romero and Waslefsky had stolen bases, with Romero producing two RBIs and Waslefsky scoring twice. 

Freshman Luke Jones had an RBi and scored a run, and Rosell scored a run and walked. 

Freshman Stephen Hernandez earned the win with 4.0 innings of work. He struck out four batters, walked four, and did not allow a hit or earned run. Sophomore Stryder Salas earned his first save of the year by tossing the final 3.0 innings. He fanned four and allowed four hits and one earned run. 

Eastern Arizona Game Two Recap

The Cougar offense continued to click as they swept the doubleheader with an 8-5 victory. The Cougars led 7-0 through seven innings before Eastern Arizona rallied for five runs in the seventh to draw within two runs. Sophomore Carlos Vega recorded a two-out RBI single in the eighth to provide an insurance run. 

In the bottom of the second, freshman Brady Lord tripled and later scored on a wild pitch to give SMCC an early lead. Miranda singled, stole second in the fourth, and scored on an RBI single from Waters. SMCC made it 3-0 in the fifth when Chacon walked, stole second, and scored on an RBI double from Rosell. 

The first three Cougars reached safely in the sixth, and Lord delivered a two-run single. Waslefsky added a sac fly, and Rosell recorded an RBI groundout. 

Lord was 2 for 4 with two runs, two RBIs, and the triple, while Waters was 2 for 3 with a run, a stolen base, and an RBI. Chacon finished 1 for 2 with two runs, three walks, and four stolen bases. Rosell had a double, two walks and two RBIs, and Miranda and Springmeyer added stolen bases. 

Sophomore Nikolas Miller improved to 2-1 on the season with 5.0 innings of work as the SMCC starter. He fanned seven and worked around three hits and three walks to allow zero runs. 

Mata tossed two innings of relief, Urias-Calvillo went an inning, and freshman David Galindo earned his first save of the year with two strikeouts in the ninth.