SMCC Baseball Downs GateWay CC, Paradise Valley CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (38-14, 30-6 ACCAC) defeated GateWay CC 8-4 on the road on April 18 and posted a 9-4 home victory over Paradise Valley CC on April 19 in ACCAC Division II action. The Cougars hit five doubles, including two from Joe Terranova, and stole four bases to defeat the Geckos on the road. The next day, Marcus Romero hit a grand slam to help the Cougars overcome a 4-3 deficit en route to a 9-4 victory. With the win over the Pumas, SMCC has clinched the No. 1 seed in the ACCAC Division II Regionals. 

GateWay CC Recap

SMCC overcame an early deficit to post the 8-4 victory over GWCC to win the season series 4-1. Bobby Pierce Jr., Luke Jones, Christopher Mata, and Terranova (twice) smacked doubles, and Drew Johnson, Nuri Todd, Pierce Jr., and Terranova recorded stolen bases in the win. 

The Geckos got on the board first, scoring a run in the second off SMCC starter Luis Martin Romero. SMCC answered with a run in the second to tie the game courtesy of a two-out RBI single from Drew Johnson that scored Pierce Jr. 

GWCC scored a run in the third to reclaim the lead, only to see the Cougars pull ahead with three runs in the fourth. The rally started with an RBI double from Mata that scored Romero. With one out, Pierce Jr. doubled to bring in Mata, and Pierce Jr. scored on an RBI single from Bryan Lorenz. 

The Geckos got back to within 4-3 after a run in the fifth, but the Cougars answered with two in the top of the sixth. Nuri Todd scored on an error, and Johnson recorded another RBI single that brought home Raul Parada. 

SMCC tacked on insurance runs in the seventh and eighth. Romero scored on an error in the seventh, and Jones hit an RBI double to score Terranova in the eighth. 

Pierce Jr., Terranova, Johnson, and Jones had two hits apiece to lead the charge offensively for SMCC. Romero walked twice and scored twice. 

Luis Martin Romero improved to 8-0 with five innings of work. He allowed eight hits, three earned runs, and one walk to go with five strikeouts. Sam Yeager recorded his second save of the season with four innings of relief work. He allowed two hits, one earned run, and two walks while fanning two.  

Paradise Valley CC Recap

Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Romero launched his seventh home run of the year over the fence in left to help lift SMCC to a 9-4 victory. The victory ensures that SMCC will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Region I Division II Tournament. 

Romero's grand slam put SMCC ahead 7-4, and the Cougars added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh to secure the victory. 

PVCC led 1-0 in the third, but SMCC scored three times in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Jones singled down the right-field line to score Terranova and Johnson, and Landon Springmeyer added a sacrifice fly. 

PVCC reclaimed the lead in the fifth with three runs to set up Romero's dramatics. With one out in the sixth, Johnson singled, a pitch hit Jones, and Springmeyer singled to load the bases in front of Romero. 

In the seventh, Parada led off the frame with a double and scored on an RBI triple from Lorenz. Jones then brought Lorenz in with a sacrifice bunt. 

Romero was 2 for 4 with the four RBIs and his sixth home run since the start of April. Parada was 3 for 4 with two runs and his 21st double of the season, and Pierce Jr. had a pair of hits. Jones drove in three, and Terranova and Johnson scored twice. 

Grant Young improved to 6-1 on the season with four innings of scoreless relief. He did not allow a hit, walked one, and fanned one. Michael Caruso started the game for SMCC and went five innings with six hits, four earned runs, four walks, and three strikeouts.