SMCC Baseball Sweeps Midweek Series with Gateway CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (28-10, 14-8 ACCAC) defeated Gateway CC 13-3 (8 innings) on Mar. 28 and 11-2 on Mar. 29 to sweep the midweek ACCAC series. Freshman Dominic Chacon missed hitting for the cycle by a double, and sophomore Michael Diaz hit a walk-off 2-run home run in the game-one victory. In game two, the Cougars blasted five extra-base hits and 18 hits to sweep the Geckos. 

Game One (Mar. 28) Recap

Gateway CC struck for a pair of runs in the first inning off SMCC starter Raul Garayzar. SMCC scratched across a run in the second and scored seven in the fifth, fueled by a grand slam from Chacon. He finished 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBIs, a triple, a stolen base and a walk. 

Diaz hit his first home run of the year in the eighth to end the game early and added a second run in the win. 

Garayzar earned the win on the mound to improve to 5-1 on the season. He went 5.2 innings with six strikeouts and two earned runs. Freshman Nikolas Miller tossed the final 2.1 innings and had five strikeouts. 

Sophomore Carter Richey went 2-for-4 with a run, two RBIs, a stolen base and a double, and sophomore Jared Glinski had the team's second double. He walked twice and scored a run. Freshman Sam Christiansen had a two-run single, a run and a stolen base, and sophomore Connor Schneider added an RBI. 

Game Two (Mar. 29) Recap 

The Cougars jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second and added six runs in the fifth. SMCC pushed across three runs in the ninth before the Geckos responded with two of their own in the frame. 

Richey was one of seven Cougars to record multiple hits in the win and finished 4-for-5 with two runs and a double. Sophomore Core Jackson went 2-for-5 with a run and a double, and Schneider went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.

Glinski was 2-for-3 with a run, three RBIs and a triple, and freshman Karsen Waslefsky went 2-for-4 with a run, two RBIs, a walk and a double. Chacon had two hits and scored a run, and freshman Jaden Miranda was 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base. Sophomore Brian Leon scored twice as a courtesy runner for Kenneth Jimenez, who went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. 

Freshman Brandon Koble recorded his first win with six innings of shutout baseball on the mound. He fanned four and worked around three hits and two walks. Freshman Austin Balmes picked up his first save of the year with three innings of relief work.