SMCC Baseball Splits ACCAC Doubleheader at Eastern Arizona
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
South Mountain Community College | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
|
Eastern Arizona College | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 8 | 12 | 1 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
South Mountain Community College | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 1 |
|
Eastern Arizona College | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
PHOEINX ---
The South Mountain Community College baseball team (13-3, 1-1 ACCAC) split an ACCAC doubleheader at Eastern Arizona on Feb. 18, falling 8-4 in game one before posting an 8-2 victory in the second game. Freshman Jayden Smith finished a perfect 5-for-5 with two runs, a home run, a stolen base, and three RBIs, and four other Cougars had a pair of hits in the game two victory.
Game One Recap
The Gila Monsters scored four runs in the first and three in the third to take a commanding 7-0 lead. SMCC responded with a run in the fourth and three in the fifth, but the rally ended there as the Cougars fell 8-4.
Six different Cougars had a base hit in the loss. Freshman Sam Christiansen hit his first home run of the season, and sophomores Core Jackson and Smith each added a double. Sophomore Connor Schneider added a hit and an RBI, freshman Dominic Chacon had a single, and freshman Karsen Waslefsky added an RBI.
Sophomore Jaxon Jelkin took the loss on the mound for SMCC. He went five innings with six earned runs and six strikeouts. Sophomore Josaiah Estrella tossed the final inning with a walk.
Game Two Recap
SMCC scored two runs in the first, one in the second, and two in the fourth to take an early 4-0 lead. After Eastern Arizona cut the lead to 4-2 in its half of the fourth, SMCC responded with a run in the fifth, two in the sixth, and one in the ninth to seal the victory.
A 2022 Second Team All-ACCAC selection, Smith set a new career high with five hits, blasted his second career home run, and his three RBIs tied a career best. He is batting .357 with six doubles, 15 runs, 11 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 14 games this season.
Sophomore Kenneth Jimenez, freshman Jaden Miranda, Jackson and Waslefsky had two apiece in the win. Jackson scored a run and stole a base, and Waslefsky added a steal and two runs scored. Jimenez drove in a run, and Miranda posted a double, two walks, and a run scored.
Sophomore Michael Diaz scored a run, had an RBI, and walked twice, and Christiansen had a stolen base.
Sophomore Matthew Martinez tossed 3.1 innings of hitless relief with four strikeouts to pick up his first win of the season. Freshman Nikolas Miller started the game for SMCC and went 3.2 innings with five hits, two earned runs and two strikeouts. Sophomore Jacob Beltran tossed an inning of scoreless relief, and sophomore Raul Garayzar had two strikeouts in the ninth.