Cougar Baseball Battles with at Phoenix College, Eastern Arizona

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (23-25, 11-19 ACCAC) defeated Phoenix College 6-2 (7) and 3-1 (7) in a non-conference doubleheader at Phoenix College on April 12. Drew Bond had a double and three RBIs in the first game, and four other Cougars had extra-base hits as SMCC defeated the Bears 6-2 in seven innings. Brian Leon led SMCC with three hits, and Quade Swearingen added a triple as the Cougars swept the doubleheader with a 3-1, seven-inning victory. 

The Cougars returned to ACCAC action on Saturday, April 16, with a doubleheader at Eastern Arizona. After dropping the first game 2-0, the Cougars rebounded for a 22-12 victory in the second game to split the doubleheader. 

Phoenix College Game One Recap

SMCC jumped out to a 4-0 lead through three innings, scoring a pair in the first and adding a run in the second and third. After the Bears cut the deficit to 4-2, the Cougars responded with two runs in the seventh to secure the 6-2 win. 

Bond and Jacob Alexander had two hits to lead the Cougars. Bond recorded his ninth double and raised his RBI season total to 16, and Alexander hit his third triple and added a run and an RBI. 

Gustavo Sosa, Carter Richey and Swearingen collected doubles in the win. The double was Richey's team-leading 11th, and he scored a run, and Sosa scored a pair of runs, stole a base and added an RBI. Swearingen picked up his third double of the year and scored a run. 

Esteban Hernandez started the game and went four innings. He fanned four and allowed three hits. Carter Krosky tossed the final three innings and had three K's and two unearned runs to earn the win, his third of the year. 

Phoenix College Game Two Recap

SMCC led 2-0 after three, added a run in the fourth and held off a Phoenix College rally to win 3-1. SMCC had eight hits in the win, with Leon leading the charge with three singles. He also had a stolen base, his fifth of the season. 

Sosa had a pair of hits and Swearingen recorded his first triple of the season, and Bond picked up his fourth and fifth RBIs with a two-run single. 

Paul Sachen, Nick Wolfrey and Swearingen scored runs for SMCC, and Bond, Wolfrey, and Connor Schneider recorded stolen bases. 

Raul Garayzar earned his fourth win on the mound for SMCC. He started and went four innings with two hits and three K's. Matthew Martinez tossed two innings of relief, and Alec Stanfield pitched the seventh to earn a save.  

Eastern Arizona Game One Recap

The Gila Monsters' Alan Aguero tossed a two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts to lead EAC to a 2-0 victory over SMCC. 

Jayden Smith and Claton Kempski had base hits for the Cougars. 

Drew Bond (1-5) started the game and took the loss on the mound. He went 6.0 innings with two K's and two earned runs. 

Eastern Arizona Game Two Recap

The Cougars responded to the game one loss with a 22-12 victory in the second game. SMCC scored a run in every inning except the eighth and produced a seven-run second and a six-run sixth. 

Sachen led the Cougars with a 4-for-4 performance. He scored four runs, drove in two, stole a base and had three doubles in the win. 

Richey finished 3-for-5 with two runs, a stolen base and six RBIs. He hit his team-leading 12th double and seventh home run of the season. 

Sosa, Schneider, Swearingen and Taylor Tractenberg had two hits apiece for SMCC. Tractenberg scored three times, drove in two and hit his third home run. Schneider hit his fifth home run and finished with two runs and two RBIs, and Swearingen also had two runs and two RBIs. 

Charlie Deeds (1-1) earned the win with 3.2 innings of relief work, allowing three earned runs with one strikeout. Ryan Figueroa started the game and went two innings with a pair of K's and four earned runs. Martinez, Jacob Beltran and Stanfield all saw time in relief.