Hackman Throws Gem as Aztecs Baseball Split with Arizona Western
The Pima Community College baseball team (26-18, 14-16 in ACCAC) played to its fifth straight ACCAC conference split doubleheader on Saturday as the Aztecs hosted Arizona Western College (20-21, 8-15) at the West Campus.
Sophomore Ryan Ramsower (Salpointe Catholic HS) went 2 for 7 with five RBIs on the day.
Game 1: Pima CC Aztecs 4, Arizona Western College Matadors 2
Freshman pitcher Andres Hackman (Empire HS) threw a complete game giving up two runs (none earned) on two hits with four strikeouts and three walks. He improved to 7-1 on the season.
Down 2-0, the Aztecs tied the game in the third inning. Sophomore David Oropeza (Nogales HS) led off the inning with a single and scored on a sacrifice-fly RBI by Ramsower. Two batters later, freshman Manny Ramirez (Bisbee HS) hit an RBI single to plate freshman Anthony Felix (Canyon del Oro HS).
Sophomore Hunter Green (Sahuaro HS) gave the Aztecs the lead for good in the fifth inning when he hit a two-run RBI single to score Ramsower and sophomore Francisco Rodriguez (Tucson Magnet HS).
Green finished 1 for 2 with two RBIs while Ramirez went 2 for 2 with an RBI. Oropeza went 2 for 3 with a run scored and Ramsower was 0 for 2 with an RBI and a run scored.
Game 2: Arizona Western College Matador 9, Pima CC Aztecs 7
The Aztecs took an early lead but the Matadors came back in the mid-innings to take the lead for good.
The Aztecs scored three runs in the first inning capped off by sophomore Frankie Ortiz's (Ironwood Ridge HS) two-run RBI triple to make it 3-0. The Matadors tied it in the third and took a 4-3 lead after the fourth inning.
Pima responded in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Sophomore Ivan Estrella drew a bases loaded walk and two batters later Ramsower hit a three-run RBI triple to put the Aztecs ahead 7-4. Arizona Western scored two in the fifth and three in the sixth to take the lead. The Aztecs managed one hit after the fourth inning.
Ramsower finished the game 2 for 5 with three RBIs while Ortiz went 1 for 4 with two RBIs. Rodriguez was 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Freshman Kristian Samorano (Tucson Magnet HS) took the loss (1-1) as he pitched two innings in relief giving up three runs (three earned) on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
The Aztecs will play a non-conference doubleheader against Arizona Christian University (JV) in Phoenix. The games will be at noon and 2:30 p.m.
Andres Hackman/Photo by Ben Carbajal
