Sikes homers and earns save as Aztecs baseball splits at El Paso CC

The Pima Community College baseball team (5-1) rallied from a four-run deficit to earn a split on Friday in its first two games at El Paso Community College (2-4).

• Game 1: El Paso CC Tejanos 6, Pima CC Aztecs 4: The Aztecs took a 3-0 lead but the Tejanos scored six unanswered runs to take the lead for good.
  The rally fell short for the Aztecs as they trailed 6-3 in the 7^th inning. They loaded the bases with one out as freshman Cole Cummings scored on a balk. Freshman JJ Rollon (Skyline HS) struck out and sophomore Enrique Porchas (Kofa HS) flied out to end the game.
  Sophomore Phillip Sikes hit an RBI single in the 1^st inning. The Aztecs loaded the bases with no outs in the 3^rd inning and got two runs in the inning. Sophomore Rafael Padilla (Nogales HS) hit a groundout RBI and Cummings scored on a wild pitch to put Pima up 3-0.
  Sikes went 2 for 4 with an RBI and Cummings finished 1 for 3 with three runs scored and a walk. Padilla was 1 for 4 with an RBI.
  Sophomore Conner Nantkes took the loss (1-1) as he pitched five innings giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

PCC      1 0 2 0 0 0 1   4 7 2
EPCC   0 0 0 3 2 1 x   6 9 1

• Game 2: Pima CC Aztecs 6, El Paso CC Tejanos 4: The Aztecs fell behind 4-0 heading into the top of the 4^th inning but five runs in the 6^th helped them earn the doubleheader split.
  Sikes put the Aztecs on the scoreboard with a solo homer in the 4^th inning.
  The Aztecs loaded the bases with one out in the 6^th when freshman Stockton Pringle (Sahuaro HS) hit a two-run RBI double to cut it to 4-3. Sophomore Richard Ware followed with a two-run RBI double of his own to score Porchas and Pringle; which gave the Aztecs the lead. Sophomore Matthew Hackman (Empire HS) hit an RBI double two batters later as Ware scored an insurance run.
  Sophomore Hayden Udall (Campo Verde HS) picked up the win (2-0) as he pitched six innings giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits with seven strikeouts and three walks. Sikes picked up his first save as he set the Tejanos down in order to close out the game.

PCC       0 0 0 1 0 5 0   6 6 3
EPCC    2 0 2 0 0 0 0   4 5 2

The Aztecs will play another two games on Saturday against the Tejanos. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.