SMCC Baseball Powers to Wins over GateWay CC, Glendale CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (3-5) posted an 8-0 (7) home victory over GateWay CC on Jan. 31 and a 10-7 victory at Glendale CC on Feb. 1 in non-conference action. Sophomore David Galindo turned in an impressive performance on the mound, and sophomores Raul Parada and Gavin Short produced multi-RBI efforts against the Geckos. The following day, sophomore Luke Jones posted a career-high three hits and four RBIs, and Brayden Grantham drove in three more as the Cougars powered past the Gauchos. 

GateWay CC Recap

The Cougars won their 2025 home opener against the Geckos behind a stellar outing from Galindo. The sophomore right-handed pitcher scattered three hits and fanned six over six innings of work to improve to 2-0 on the young season. 

Offensively, Parada led the charge with a 2 for 3 effort with three RBIs and a walk. Short was 1 for 2 with two RBIs and had the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh. 

Short started the game's scoring, breaking the deadlock with a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fourth. 

In the fifth, sophomore Christopher Mata led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to second on a bunt single from Bobby Pierce Jr. Sophomore Bryan Lorenz reached on an error to load the bases, and Parada cleared them with a three-run double down the left-field line. 

In the seventh, Pierce Jr. led off the frame with a single into left field and moved to second on a single from Lorenz. Parada bunted a single to third to load the bases, and Pierce Jr. scored on a passed ball to put SMCC ahead 5-0. Lorenz later scored on a wild pitch, freshman Nuri Todd came home on another passed ball, and Short ended the game with an RBI single to left to score sophomore Landon Springmeyer. 

Pierce finished 2 for 4 with two runs, while Lorenz and Springmeyer scored twice. Freshman Lukas Geisler threw the seventh for SMCC and had one strikeout. 

Glendale CC Recap

Jones and Grantham combined for six hits, seven RBIs, three runs, and two doubles as the Cougars won a road contest over the Gauchos. Jones finished 3 for 4 with two runs, four RBIs, a double and a walk, while Grantham was 3 for 5 with three RBIs, a double, and a run. 

After GCC hit a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first inning, SMCC responded immediately with three runs in the second. Parada doubled to start the frame, and freshman Jaden Leon drew a walk to put two aboard with one out. Jones cleared the bases with a two-out, two-run double to center and scored on an RBI single from Grantham. 

In the fourth, sophomore Jaden Upper singled with one out and scored on an RBI double from Grantham. 

The Gauchos cut the lead to 4-2 in the fifth, but SMCC again answered in the next half inning. Leon and Upper walked with one out, and Jones restored the three-run lead with an RBI single to score Leon. 

Parada plated Pierce Jr. with an RBI single in the seventh, and the eighth saw SMCC score four times. Leon and Upper drew walks to start the frame, and Jones drove in Leon again with an RBI single. Grantham brought Upper home with an RBI single, and Jones scored on a passed ball. Pierce Jr. concluded the scoring with an RBI single to bring in Grantham. 

Pierce Jr. was 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI, while Parada was 2 for 5 with a run, an RBI, and his fourth double of the season. 

On the mound, sophomore Michael Caruso earned the win with 2.2 innings of relief work. He fanned three and worked around two hits and two walks. Sophomore Fabian Ibarra started the game for the Cougars and went 4.1 innings with seven K's, three hits, and two earned runs. Freshman Quinn Robertson tossed the final two innings for SMCC.