Mendez has 6 RBIs as Aztecs baseball splits with El Paso CC

The Pima Community College baseball team (6-2) played a non-conference doubleheader on the road on Friday against El Paso Community College (1-7).

The Aztecs split with the Tejanos as sophomore Marcus Mendez (Desert View HS) had a great day at plate going 5 for 8 with six RBIs and three runs scored. Freshman Rafael Padilla (Nogales HS) was 4 for 7 with four runs scored while freshman Matthew Hackman (Empire HS) finished 4 for 9 with three RBIs.

Game 1: Pima CC Aztecs 9, El Paso CC Tejanos 6 (7 innings): The Aztecs broke open a 3-3 tie in the 5^th inning with four runs. Freshman Enrique Porchas (Kofa HS) hit an RBI double to score sophomore Martin Garcia (Tucson HS) as he later scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-3. Mendez hit into a fielder's choice to score Padilla and later scored on an error to make it 7-3.
Mendez hit a two-run RBI single in the 6^th inning to plate Porchas and Padilla. Mendez finished the game 2 for 3 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Hackman hit a two-run RBI single in the 4^th inning and went 1 for 4 with two RBIs in the game.

Porchas was 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored while Padilla finished 1 for 2 with two runs scored and two walks.

Sophomore Jose Contreras (Tucson HS) picked up the win (2-0) as he pitched six innings giving up three runs (three earned) on four hits with nine strikeouts and one walk.

PCC    0 1 0 2 4 2 0   9  11  2
EPCC 0 0 1 2 0 0 3   6    8  2

Game 2: El Paso CC Tejanos 11, Pima CC Aztecs 8: The Aztecs' rally was cut short in the 9^th inning as the Tejanos' struck with four runs in each the 2^nd and 3^rd innings.

Down 4-0, the Aztecs rallied with five runs in the third inning to take the lead. Hackman hit an RBI triple while sophomore Jesus Solis (Nogales HS) had a sacrifice-fly RBI. Padilla tied the game at 4-4 with an RBI single to score Porchas. Mendez gave the Aztecs the lead with an RBI single of his own to plate Padilla.

Mendez hit a two-run RBI single to score Padilla and sophomore Logan Klunder in the 9^th inning but that's as close as they could get.

Freshman Michael Wong took the loss (0-1) on the mound as he pitched two and two-third innings giving up eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

PCC   0 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 2  8   14  3
EPCC 0 4 4 1 0 2 0 0 x 11  15  1

The Aztecs will play two more games against the Tejanos on Saturday. The first game starts at 11:00 a.m.