Aztecs baseball rallies fall short at Cochise College

The Pima Community College baseball team (17-21, 8-18 in ACCAC) produced chances to rally on Saturday at Cochise College but fell short in Douglas.

Freshman Marcus Mendez went 4 for 6 at the plate while fellow freshman Logan Klunder had a pair of RBIs in the second game.

Game 1: Cochise College Apaches 3, Pima CC Aztecs 2 (7 innings): The Apaches took a 3-1 lead after scoring one run in the third and two runs in the fourth inning. The Aztecs cut into the lead with a run in the sixth but fell in the end.

Sophomore Oscar Larranaga (Sunnyside HS) drove in Mendez with an RBI single in the third inning to give Pima a 1-0 lead. In the sixth inning, sophomore Manny Ramirez scored on sophomore Miguel Figueroa's (Tucson HS) groundout.

Mendez went 2 for 3 with a run scored while Larranaga was 1 for 3 with an RBI. Ramirez finished 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Sophomore Trevelle Hill (Tucson HS) took the loss (2-5) as he threw five innings giving up three runs (three earned) on four hits with two strikeouts and three walks.

Game 2: Cochise College Apaches 5, Pima CC Aztecs 3 (9 innings): The Aztecs fell behind 5-0 until the ninth inning as they left 11 runners on base for the game.

Ramirez hit an RBI single to score freshman Jared Kromminga (Empire HS) to put the Aztecs on the board. Klunder hit a two-run RBI single to plate Ramirez and Larranaga but sophomore Anthony Felix (Canyon del Oro HS) grounded out to end the threat and the game.

Klunder finished 2 for 5 with two RBIs while Ramirez went 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run. Kromminga was 1 for 2 with a run scored and Mendez finished 2 for 3.

Freshman Gage O'Brien (Catalina Foothills HS) took the loss (1-2) as he started and pitched four and one-third innings giving up four runs (three earned) on two hits with seven strikeouts and seven walks.

The Aztecs are back at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium on Tuesday when they host Central Arizona College at 4:00 and 6:30 p.m.