SMCC Baseball Falls Twice to Pima CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountian Community College baseball team (32-14, 24-6 ACCAC) lost 8-7 (7 innings) and 14-8 to Pima CC in an ACCAC home doubleheader on Saturday, April 5. Freshman Drew Johnson went 3 for 4 with a home run and five RBIs, but the Cougars could not hold off an Aztec rally in the game-one defeat. In game two, the Aztecs led early and held off the Cougars, who had cut the deficit to 10-8 in the eighth, with four insurance runs in the ninth to sweep the twin bill. 

Game One Recap

The Cougars led 7-2 after a five-run fourth, but the Aztecs fought back with one in the fifth, four in the sixth, and one in the seventh to post the comeback victory. 

SMCC trailed 1-0 after half an inning, but Johnson tied things with a two-out RBI single in the first to score freshman Bobby Pierce Jr. In the third, Johnson put SMCC ahead with another two-out RBI single, bringing in sophomore Joe Terranova. 

After Pima CC tied it in the fourth, the Cougars mounted a two-out rally in the bottom half. Pierce Jr. and Terranova singled and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Both came home on a two-run single from sophomore Raul Parada and after freshman Bryan Lorenz singled, Johnson cleared the bases with a three-run shot. 

Pima CC tied it in the sixth with four runs and won the contest with an RBI ground out in the seventh. 

Terranova went 3 for 4 with two runs, and Pierce Jr. was 2 for 4 with two runs. Lorenz also had a pair of hits. 

Freshman Thomas Peck took the loss in relief for SMCC. He allowed three hits, two earned runs, and a walk with two strikeouts in the sixth. Sophomore Michael Caruso started the game for the Cougars and went five innings with five hits, two earned runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. Sophomore Matt Elliot tossed the final 1.1 innings with one hit, one earned run, one walk, and one K. 

Game Two Recap

The Aztecs scored early and built an 8-0 lead through three and a half innings. Although SMCC would cut into the deficit with multi-run frames in the fourth, fifth, and eighth, Pima CC responded with runs in each subsequent inning to post the 14-8 victory. 

Sophomore Marcus Romero hit a two-out, two-run double in the fourth that scored Johnson and sophomore Luke Jones to make the score 7-2. Trailing 9-2 in the fifth, Lorenz hit an RBI single to score Terranova, Jones drew a bases-loaded walk, and sophomore Christopher Mata recorded a sacrifice fly to bring the Cougars to within 9-5. 

Romero led off the eighth with a solo home run, his third of the week, and Terranova blasted a two-run shot that scored Pierce Jr. to bring SMCC to within 10-8. However, the Aztecs scored in the ninth to seal the victory.

Romero finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs, and Johnson was 2 for 4 with a run. Pierce Jr. and Mata had the team's other doubles, and Terranova finished with two runs, two RBIs, and a walk. 

Sophomore Fabian Ibarra took the loss on the mound for SMCC, allowing six hits, six earned runs, and three walks with two strikeouts in three innings. Freshmen Grant Young, Robert Whitaker, and Sam Yeager all saw time in relief, and Mata did as well.