SMCC Baseball Splits with Cochise College to Conclude 2022 Season

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (27-29, 15-23 ACCAC) split an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference home doubleheader with Cochise College on April 30, winning the first game 8-4 (7 innings) before falling 11-9 in the second contest. In the game one victory, the Cougars posted five extra-base hits, including a Brian Leon home run, and mounted a ninth-run rally in the second contest that nearly erased an 11-1 deficit. 

Game One Recap

The Cougars led 3-1 after two, but Cochise rallied and cut the lead to 5-4 in the sixth. The Cougars responded with three insurance runs to post the 8-4 victory in its half of the frame. 

Serving as the team's leadoff batter, Leon finished 3-for-4 with a double, two runs, three RBIs and his fourth home run. He ended the season with a .278 batting average, four doubles and 14 RBIs. 

Paul Sachen and Nick Wolfrey finished with two hits in the win. Wolfrey collected his first triple and scored a run, while Sachen had an RBI. 

Taylor Tractenberg hit his third triple of the season, scored a run and had an RBI, while Gustavo Sosa scored a pair of runs and had a stolen base. Clayton Kempski had the team's second double, and Carter Richey had a single and a run. 

Ryan Figueroa (7-2) started the game and earned his seventh win of the year with four innings of work. He had five strikeouts, and one earned run. Raul Garayzar tossed the final three innings and fanned three to record his first save of the year. 

Game Two Recap

Trailing 11-1 in the bottom of the ninth, the Cougars mounted a frantic rally that brought the tying run to the plate. However, the Apaches got the final out to post the 11-9 victory and secure the No. 2 seed in the NJCAA Region I Division I tournament. 

Sachen had three hits in the loss and scored a pair of runs. He wrapped up the year with a .312 batting average, seven doubles, a triple, two home runs, 11 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 35 games. Jacob Alexander had a pair of hits, scored a run and added an RBI. He finished the season with a .280 batting average, five doubles, three triples, a home run and 15 RBIs in 32 games. 

Sosa hit a two-run home run in the ninth and finished the year with a .337 batting average, 13 doubles, nine home runs and 37 RBIs. 

Tractenberg, Wolfrey and Quade Swearingen picked up doubles in the contest, and Wolfrey added a pair of RBIs. 

Drew Bond (1-7) took the loss on the mound for SMCC. He started the game and went 5.2 innings with four K's and three earned runs. Jacob Beltran, Matthew Martinez and Gillis Champagne saw time in relief for the Cougars.