Late-Inning Heroics Lift SMCC Baseball to Split with Yavapai College

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (11-9, 4-4 ACCAC) split an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference home doubleheader with Yavapai College on Feb. 26. In the first game, Carter Richey hit a two-out, three-run home run to tie the contest in the sixth, and the Cougars scratched across a pair of runs to post the 6-5 walk-off victory. In the second game, a seven-run second inning propelled the Roughriders to the 11-3 victory and split.

Game One Recap

Trailing 4-0 in the sixth inning, the Cougars rallied for four runs punctuated by Richey's first home run of the season. Earlier in the inning, Jayden Smith started the frame with a double and scored to put the Cougars on the board.

Yavapai was not deterred and pushed a run across in its half of the seventh. However, SMCC responded as Smith tied the game on a wild pitch and Brian Leon scored the winning run on a bases-loaded groundout.

Smith finished 1-for-2 with the two runs, the double and a walk. Kyle Alexander and Taylor Tractenberg scored a run and had an RBI, and Gustavo Sosa added a base hit and a stolen base. Esteban Hernandez broke up a no-hit bid in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out single.

Jacob Beltran (5-0) earned the win with an inning of relief and allowed one earned run. Ryan Figueroa started the game for SMCC and tossed 4.2 innings with seven strikeouts and four unearned runs. Drew Woody threw an inning of relief, and Charlie Deeds recorded a vital out.

Game Two Recap

In the second game, errors hurt the Cougars and helped fuel a seven-inning second for Yavapai. SMCC responded with three runs in its half of the second but could not capitalize on other scoring opportunities throughout the contest.

Hernandez was a perfect 3-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. Jacob Alexander, Sosa, Smith and Connor Schneider also had base hits for the SMCC, with Leon and Alexander picking up RBIs. Gillis Champagne and Josaiah Estrella scored runs for SMCC.

Carter Krosky (1-2) took the loss for the Cougars on the mound. He started the game and allowed four hits and two earned runs to go with a strikeout. Eric Perez and Drew Bond teamed up for two innings of work, and Alec Stanfield tossed 3.1 innings with one hit and five strikeouts. Matthew Martinez threw the ninth for the Cougars.