Posted: Apr 20, 2019
Ware leads offensive onslaught in first game as Aztecs baseball splits with No. 8 Cochise College
The Pima Community College baseball team (35-15, 21-12 in ACCAC) played a back and forth ACCAC Division I doubleheader on Saturday against No. 8 ranked Cochise College (40-11, 24-10).
The loss in the second game snapped Pima's nine-game winning streak. Sophomore Phillip Sikes finished the day 4 for 6 with two home runs, six RBIs and five runs scored. Freshman Cole Cummings went 3 for 6 with two RBIs and four runs scored.
- Game 1: Pima CC Aztecs 12, (8) Cochise College Apaches 5: The Aztecs had two big innings scoring five runs in the 1st inning and seven runs in the 6th to upset the Apaches.
Cummings set the tone with a leadoff solo home run in the 1st inning. Sophomore Richard Ware hit a two-run RBI single with two outs and later scored on an error to make it 4-0. Sophomore Enrique Porchas (Kofa HS) walked and scored on a passed ball to cap off the inning.
The Apaches scored five unanswered runs and tied the game at 5-5 in the 6th inning.
The Aztecs took control again in the bottom half of the 6th. Freshman Garett Lake hit a RBI single to drive in sophomore Phillip Sikes to give Pima a 6-5 lead. Ware followed with another two-run RBI hit; this time a triple to score sophomore Rafael Padilla (Nogales HS) and Lake. Ware scored on a balk to make it 9-5. Cummings drove in Porchas with an RBI double with two outs.
Cummings finished the game 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. He fell a triple short of the cycle. Ware also went 2 for 3 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Sikes was 1 for 2 with an RBI and two runs scored while Lake finished 1 for 2 with an RBI and a run.
Bryan picked up his 10th win of the season (10-1) as he pitched six innings giving up five runs (five earned) on 10 hits with eight strikeouts and no walks on 111 pitches.
CC 0 2 0 1 2 0 0 5 10 0
PCC 5 0 0 0 7 0 x 12 8 0
- Game 2: (8) Cochise College Apaches 11, Pima CC Aztecs 9: The Aztecs took the early lead again but the Apaches had the last word with two runs in the top half of the 9th. The Aztecs stranded the game-tying run on second base to end the game.
The Apaches tied the game at 5-5 in the 7th inning but the Aztecs responded in the bottom half of the inning. Freshman Angel Ochoa (Canyon del Oro HS) hit a two-run RBI single to score freshman JJ Rollon (Skyline HS) and Sikes. Sophomore Jacob Jacome followed with an RBI single to drive in Porchas. The Aztecs led 8-5.
The Apaches took a 9-8 lead with four runs in the top of the 8th. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Sikes went yard for the second time in the game; this time on a solo shot to centerfield to tie it at 9-9.
The Apaches took advantage of a couple of Pima errors in the 9th to take the lead for good.
The Aztecs wouldn't go quietly as freshman Karl Koerper drew a leadoff walk and with one out, Ochoa hit a single. Freshman Brian Romero (Canyon del Oro HS) grounded out to move them to second and third base but sophomore Fabian Ferreira (Tucson HS) grounded out to end the game.
Sikes hit his first home run of the game as part of a four-run 1st inning. He hit a three-run bomb to score Cummings and Rollon. He finished 3 for 4 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Ochoa went 3 for 5 with two RBIs while Cummings was 1 for 3 with two runs and a walk. Rollon went 1 for 2 with two runs and two walks and Porchas finished 2 for 4 with an RBI, a run and a walk.
Sikes took the loss (2-2) in a relief appearance pitching one-third of the 9th inning giving up one hit with one strikeout. Sophomore Hayden Udall (Campo Verde HS) started and pitched six innings giving up five runs (five earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
CC 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 4 2 11 13 0
PCC 4 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 0 9 14 2
The Aztecs close out the regular season next week. They will host Arizona Western College on Tuesday at the West Campus Aztec Baseball Field where they will recognize their sophomores before the first game. First pitch is at noon.
