SMCC Finishes 3-1 at Zinger Classic at Sloan Park

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (6-3) finished 3-1 at the Zinger Classic at Sloan Park on Feb. 4-6. The Cougars opened the tournament with a 9-5 (10 innings) loss to New Mexico JC but rebounded with victories over Pima CC (4-2), Southern Nevada (12-1, 7 innings) and Yavapai College (15-4, 7 innings).

New Mexico JC Recap

SMCC tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh, but NMJC scored four in the 10th to win the game in extra frames. 

Four Cougars had a base hit in the loss, and sophomore Gustavo Sosa recorded a double. He also scored twice, had an RBI and drew a walk. Connor Schneider and Gillis Champagne had a single and scored a run, while Easton Erwin had a single, and Jayden Smith scored a run and stole a base.

Raul Garayzar started the game for SMCC, tossing 4.2 innings with three strikeouts, two walks and two earned runs. Eric Perez tossed an inning with a strikeout and three earned runs. Steven Vasquez threw one inning with two K's, and Jacob Beltran finished with four K's in 2.1 innings of relief. Matthew Martinez took the loss on the mound for SMCC.

Pima CC Recap

Sophomore Nolan Livsey tossed 7.2 innings of no-hit baseball, needing 84 pitches to record 23 outs as SMCC defeated Pima CC 4-2 in a non-conference contest. Livsey struck out three batters and walked two to record his first win of the season.

Schneider and Sosa had two hits, and four other Cougars added one in the win. Kyle Alexander hit a solo home run and scored two runs, and Carter Richey, Drew Bond and Brian Leon smacked doubles. Richey and Sosa each had an RBI, and Leon scored a run.

SMCC scored a run in the second, two in the fourth and one in the fifth to back up Livsey. The Aztecs struck for two runs off Esteban Hernandez in the ninth inning.

Southern Nevada Recap

The Cougars exploded for 12 runs over the first three innings, including six in the first and five in the third, to defeat the Coyotes 12-1.

Schneider, Sosa and Bond had two hits in the win. Schneider finished 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBIs, a walk and a home run. Sosa went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, and Bond went 2-for-2 with four RBIs, a double, a stolen base and a run scored.

Taylor Tractenberg also homered for SMCC and finished with three RBIs. Jayden Smith scored a run, drove in an RBI and stole a base, and Nick Wolfrey scored two runs with a walk and a single. Josaiah Estrella scored twice as a pinch-runner. 

Ryan Figueroa (2-0) tossed five innings with seven strikeouts to earn the win for SMCC. He scattered six hits, and one earned run to record his second win of the season. Carson Hamro and Alec Stanfield tossed an inning of relief with a strikeout. 

Yavapai College Recap

The offense continued to roll after the CSN win as they totaled 13 hits in a 15-4 non-conference win against the Roughriders.

Smith led all players with three hits, and Tractenberg, Schneider, Richey and Quade Swearingen had two in the victory. Smith went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Tractenberg was 2-for-3 with three runs, two doubles and two RBIs.

Schneider went 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs, while Richey went 2-for-5 with one run and one RBI. Swearingen finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, and Leon scored a pair of runs and had an RBi. Alexander scored a run and had an RBI, Sosa added an RBI and Estrella and Champagned scored.

Carter Krosky (1-1) picked up his first win of the year with five innings of scoreless baseball. He fanned three and walked zero. Nick Wallerstedt and Drew Bond appeared in relief for the Cougars.