Nantkes and Porchas lead Aztecs baseball to secure split with Arizona Western College on Sophomore Day

The Pima Community College baseball team (36-16, 22-13 in ACCAC) bounced back after playing in a marathon with Arizona Western College (36-18, 21-15) on Tuesday at the West Campus Aztec Baseball Field.
Sophomore Enrique Porchas finished the day 3 for 8 with three RBIs and two runs scored as he proved to be one of the difference makers in the second game. Sophomore Conner Nantkes pitched a complete-game and got the win.

• Game 1: Arizona Western College Matadors 8, Pima CC Aztecs 3 (11 innings): The Aztecs took the lead but the Matadors tied it in the 6^th inning. The Aztecs left a pair of runner on base to end the 10^th and the Matadors took control in the 11^th inning.
  Sophomore Javier Nava hit a two-run RBI single with the bases loaded to score freshman Angel Ochoa (Canyon del Oro HS) and Porchas to give the Aztecs a 3-1 lead. The Matadors tied the game with two runs in the 6^th inning.
  The Aztecs had freshman JJ Rollon (Skyline HS) on second and sophomore Rafael Padilla (Nogales HS) on first base with one out in the 10^th inning but a lineout and a strikeout ended the threat. The Matadors scored five runs in the top half of the 11^th inning.
  Nava finished 2 for 5 with two RBIs while sophomore Phillip Sikes went 1 for 3 with two walks. Padilla went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a walk. Ochoa and Porchas were each 1 for 5 with a run. The Aztecs left eight men on base for the game.
  Sikes took the loss (2-3) as he pitched two-thirds of the 11^th inning giving up three runs (none earned) on two hits with two walks.

AWC    0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 5   8 13 2
PCC     0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0    3  8  2

• Game 2: Pima CC Aztecs 3, Arizona Western College Matadors 1: Porchas broke open a tie game in the 6^th inning and also put them on the board in the 2^nd. Nantkes did the rest on the mound.
  Porchas hit a two-run RBI double with two outs in the 6^th to score Sikes and Ochoa to give Pima the lead for good. Sikes led off the inning with a double and Ochoa drew a walk before Porchas's heroics.
  Porchas tied the game at 1-1 in the 2^nd inning with a solo home run to right-center field. He finished the game 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Sikes was 1 for 3 with a run while Ochoa went 0 for 1 with a run scored and two walks.
  Nantkes picked up the win (6-5) after throwing a complete-game giving up one run (one earned) on eight hits with 11 strikeouts and one walk on 112 pitches.

AWC   0 1 0 0 0 0 0   1 8 0
PCC    0 1 0 0 0 2 x   3 7 1

The Aztecs close out the regular season on Saturday in an ACCAC doubleheader at South Mountain Community College. First pitch is at noon.