SMCC Baseball Downs Central Arizona in Region I Division I Semifinal

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (34-24) won two of three games at Central Arizona in the Region I Division I semifinal to advance to the Region I Division I Championship series. The Cougars captured game one 14-6 and rallied for a 7-4 comeback victory in game three to claim the series victory. SMCC will travel to Pima CC for the Championship series on May 9-11. Regardless of the outcome, both teams will advance to the West District Championships the following weekend, with the winner of the Regional Championship serving as host. 

Game Three Recap

The teams exchanged multiple-run innings, with SMCC scoring four in the sixth to post the comeback victory, 7- 4. 

The Cougars jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second. Freshman Landon Springmeyer walked, and with two outs, sophomore Jaden Miranda singled. Freshman Christopher Mata drew a walk to load the bases, and freshman Joe Terranova delivered a two-run single to plate Springmeyer and Miranda. Mata would later score in the frame on a wild pitch. 

The Vaqueros answered with four runs in the bottom of the third off SMCC starter Stephen Hernandez. 

The sixth started with three straight walks as Springmeyer, freshman Marcus Romero, and freshman Raul Parada drew free passes. A pitch hit Miranda to force in Springmeyer, tie the game, and bring up Mata and the top of the lineup.

Mata hit a ground ball to the shortstop, and as CAC tried to turn a double play, the throw to first was wild, allowing Parada to score on the play. With two outs, sophomore Wylie Waters smacked an RBI single to score Mata and give SMCC a 7-4 advantage. 

That set the stage for an impressive relief performance from freshman Luis Martin Romero (5-5). The right-handed pitcher tossed 4.2 innings of two-hit shutout relief work. He worked around some two-out hits and retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth innings to seal the victory. 

Terranova and Miranda led SMCC with two hits apiece. Terranova had two RBIs and a stolen base, while Miranda had an RBI and a run. Mata scored a pair of runs, drew two walks, and drove in one, and Springmeyer scored and walked twice. SMCC batters drew 10 walks in the win. 

Hernandez went 4.1 innings with six hits, four runs, four walks, and a strikeout. 

Game One Recap

The Cougars broke open a 2-2 game with three runs in the fifth, three in the sixth, and five in the eighth en route to a 14-6 victory in the series-opening game with Central Arizona. 

SMCC scored twice in the first as Mata walked and moved to third on a single from Terranova to start the game. Sacrifice flies from Waters, and sophomore Dominic Chacon brought them home to give the Cougars the early lead. 

After the Vaqueros tied the game with two runs in the second, SMCC responded with three in the fifth and never trailed again. Terranova walked, Waters singled to start the frame, and Terranova scored on an RBI groundout from Chacon. Sophomore Karsen Waslefsky then cleared the bases with a two-run home run, his second of the season. 

In the sixth, sophomore Carlos Vega walked, Miranda singled, and Terranova drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Waters then roped a two-run single to score Vega, and Miranda and Chacon had an RBI fielder's choice to bring in Terranova. 

In the eighth, Waters had an RBI single to score Mata, and he later scored on a wild pitch. Romero added an RBI single to score Waslefsky, Springmeyer stole home, and Vega had an RBI double to score Romero. 

All that offense was more than enough for sophomore Nikolas Miller (11-1), who tossed eight innings to earn the win. He worked around nine hits and six runs to finish with six strikeouts. Sophomore Alex Urias-Calvillo tossed the ninth and had a strikeout. 

Game Two Recap

The Vaqueros would post a 3-2 victory to even the series, but SMCC nearly posted another comeback victory. 

Central Arizona scored three runs off SMCC starter Matthew Lighthall in the third. Other than that frame, Lighthall was efficient and went six innings with five hits, six walks, and one strikeout. Sophomore Kaden Gray tossed 1.1 innings of hitless relief, and Urias-Calvillo recorded the final two outs in the eighth. 

The score held until the top of the eighth when Chacon blasted a two-run home run that scored Waters. However, CAC would work around multiple baserunners later in the eighth and again in the ninth to hold on for the win. 

Waters drew three of SMCC's seven walks in the game, and Romero and Miranda each added a pair of singles. Mata had a walk and a stolen base.