Aztecs Baseball Falls in Extra Innings in Split at GateWay
The Pima Community College baseball team (17-8, 8-8 in ACCAC) suffered a tough loss in the second game as the Aztecs split an ACCAC doubleheader on Tuesday at GateWay Community College (15-7, 10-4).
Game 1: Pima CC Aztecs 8, GateWay CC Geckos 5 (7 innings)
The Aztecs had a crucial five-run fourth inning and kept a tight grip on a lead to take the first game. With the game tied at 1-1 in the fourth, sophomore Al Cruz (Nogales HS) hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to score freshman Manny Ramirez (Bisbee HS). Sophomore Jacob Northrup (Sahuaro HS) hit an RBI single to plate Frankie Ortiz (Ironwood Ridge HS) to make it 3-1. The Aztecs capped off the inning with three straight RBI singles by sophomore Ivan Estrella (Tucson Magnet HS), freshman Anthony Felix (Canyon del Oro HS) and sophomore Ryan Ramsower (Salpointe Catholic HS). Pima led 6-1 after the inning.
Northrup had two more RBI hits as he tied it in the second inning with an RBI single and he hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to finish 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Ramirez went 2-for-3 with two runs scored while sophomore Francisco Rodriguez (Tucson Magnet HS) was 3-for-4 with a run scored.
Freshman Trevelle Hill (Tucson Magnet HS) picked up the win (5-2) as he pitched five innings giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Sophomore Daniel Tolano (Cholla HS) picked up his third save of the season after he threw two shutout innings with three strikeouts.
Game 2: GateWay CC Geckos 4, Pima CC Aztecs 3 (10 innings)
The Aztecs surrendered two runs in the ninth inning and gave up a run in the 10th as they dropped the second game.
The Aztecs got on the scoreboard in the second inning when sophomore Marcus Catalano (Salpointe Catholic HS) got on base with a two-out triple and later scored on a wild pitch.
They regained the lead in the sixth inning when Rodriguez hit an RBI double to score Ramsower to make it 2-1. Rodriguez scored on an RBI single by freshman Myles Moran.
Rodriguez was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored while Ramsower was 0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored.
Freshman Miguel Figueroa (Tucson Magnet HS) took the loss and dropped to 1-4 on the season.
The Aztecs will be back at the West Campus on Saturday when they host Yavapai College in an ACCAC doubleheader. The games will be at noon and 2:30 p.m.
Francisco Rodriguez/Photo by Ben Carbajal
