SMCC Baseball Opens 2024 Season with Series vs. Salt Lake CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (1-3) opened its 2024 season with a four-game series against No. 12 Salt Lake CC in St. George, Utah, at Pineview High School. The 12th-ranked Bruins won the first three games. Still, SMCC responded with a 6-4 victory in game four behind 5.2 innings of relief work from Stephen Hernandez and two-hit performances from freshman Joe Terranova and sophomore Niko Rosell. 

Game One Recap

The Cougars fell 6-3 to the Bruins in their 2024 season opener on Friday, Jan. 26. SMCC struck for a run in the second, but SLCC responded with three runs in the second and single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth. The Cougars tried to rally in the seventh and scored two runs before SLCC sealed the victory. 

Terranova led the SMCC offense with two hits, while freshman Zac Chapman had an RBI double. Sophomore Dominic Chacon and freshman Marcus Romero each had a base hit and scored a run, sophomore Jaden Miranda had an RBI and sophomore Karsen Waslefsky scored once. 

Sophomore Nikolas Miller started the game for SMCC and took the loss with seven hits, four earned runs, and three strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Matt Elliot went 1.2 innings with four K's and an earned run, and freshman Ian Armbruster had a pair of strikeouts in an inning. 

Game Two Recap

The Cougars lost 8-4 in the second game of a doubleheader on Friday, Jan. 26. SMCC scored first again, plating a run in the first, but SLCC scored four runs in the second to reclaim the lead. The Cougars crawled back to within 4-3 after a pair of runs in the third, but a Bruin run in the fifth and three in the seventh helped them hold on for the sweep. 

Sophomores Chacon, Waslefsky and Miranda all had two hits apiece. Chacon and Waslefsky each had triples and Waslefsky scored a run. 

Freshman Christopher Mata hit a two-run double, and fellow rookie Luke Jones scored a run with an RBI single. Terranova had a sac fly and sophomore Carlos Vega scored a run. 

Freshman Luis Martin Romero started the game for SMCC, taking the loss with three earned runs, three hits and two strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work. Sophomore Matthew Lighthall went 4.0 innings with six strikeouts and one earned run. Freshman Fabian Ibarra and sophomore Stryder Salas each went an inning in relief. 

Game Three Recap

The Cougars fell 4-2 to the Bruins in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 27. SLCC scored a run in each of the first three frames and chipped on an insurance run in the sixth to hold on for the 4-2 victory. 

Waslefsky belted his first home run of the season, a solo shot, the Cougars' two-run third. Freshman Marcus Romero had a single and scored a run in the frame, scoring on a sac bunt by Terranova. 

Freshman Max Mazinter started the game for SMCC and took the loss with three earned runs and two strikeouts in 2.2 innings. Freshman David Galindo tossed the final 4.1 innings and allowed one earned run with five strikeouts. 

Game Four Recap

The Cougars broke a 2-2 tie with a four-run fifth inning to post a 6-4 victory. 

Hernandez was effective in relief, going 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts and two earned runs to earn his first win as a Cougar. Sophomore Alex Urias-Calvillo went the final 2.0 innings for SMCC to earn the save and posted two strikeouts. 

Sophomore Niko Rosell collected a pair of doubles while scoring once and driving in one, and Chacon and Romero each added a double and a run scored. 

Terranova had the other multi-hit game for SMCC, finishing 2-for-3 with a run and two walks. Waslefsky scored a run and drove one in, and freshman Luke Jones had an RBI sac fly. 

Brandon Koble started the game for SMCC and went 1.1 innings with two earned runs and a strikeout.