Emilio Corona blasts 4 HRs, has 9 RBIs as Aztecs Baseball earns split with No. 13 Yavapai College

The Pima Community College baseball team (9-5, 1-3 in ACCAC) played its first ACCAC conference doubleheader on Tuesday against No. 13 Yavapai College (7-4-1, 1-1).
Sophomore Emilio Corona showed off his power as he hit four home runs on the day finishing 5 for 9 with nine RBIs and four runs scored. Sophomore Jose Enriquez was a combined 4 for 9 with six RBIs and three runs scored. Sophomore Preston Clifford (Sabino HS) finished 3 for 7 with four RBIs and four runs scored.

• Game 1: (13) Yavapai College Roughriders 14, Pima CC Aztecs 10 (8 innings): The Aztecs took the lead after the 3^rd inning but the Roughriders scored eight unanswered runs in the late innings.
  Down 5-0 in the bottom of the 3^rd inning, the Aztecs put up seven runs to take the lead. Clifford put Pima on the board with a 2-run RBI double. Enriquez drove him in with an RBI single. Freshman Trent Kiraly followed with an RBI single of his own to cut it to 5-4.
  Corona capped off the inning with a 3-run home run scoring Enriquez and Kiraly to put the Aztecs ahead 7-5. Pima scored all their runs with no outs.
  The Aztecs led 7-6 and added to their lead in the 4^th inning. After a pair of walks, Enriquez hit a 2-run RBI single driving in Clifford and freshman Gage Mestas. Corona went yard for the second time hitting a solo-shot to center field to make it 10-6.
  The Roughriders scored three in the 6^th, one in the 7^th inning and four in the 8^th.
  Corona finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs. Enriquez was 2 for 5 with three RBIs and a run. Clifford was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Mestas finished 2 for 4 with two runs.
  Sophomore Chaison Miklich took the loss in relief going one-third innings giving up four runs (four earned) on four hits.

YC     2 1 2 1 0 3 1 4   14 18 1
PCC   0 0 7 3 0 0 0 0   10 10 0

L – Miklich (1-1). 2B – Clifford. HR – Corona 2. SB – Clifford, Loera.

• Game 2: Pima CC Aztecs 16, (13) Yavapai College Roughriders 7 (6 innings): The Aztecs broke open a tie game with 14 runs in the 4^th inning.
  After hitting a leadoff homer in the 2^nd inning, Corona went yard for the fourth time on the day with a 3-run shot in the 4^th scoring Mestas and Enriquez putting the Aztecs up 8-2. He also capped off the inning with an RBI double to plate Enriquez again.
  Sophomore Romeo Ballesteros (Salpointe Catholic HS) and Clifford each had 2-run RBI singles in the inning while Enriquez had a 2-run RBI double. Enriquez also had another RBI hit.
  Corona finished 3 for 5 with five RBIs and two runs while Enriquez went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs. Ballesteros was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Clifford finished 1 for 3 with two RBIs, two runs and two walks. Mestas went 1 for 3 with two runs and two walks.
  Freshman Darius Garcia picked up the win as he started the game and pitched four and one-third innings giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

YC     0 0 1   1    5 0   14 18 1
PCC   0 2 0 (14) 0 0   16 14 1

W – Garcia (2-0). 2B – Corona, Enriquez, Adge. 3B – Ballesteros. HR – Corona 2.

The Aztecs will play four games over the next three days against Community Christian College. They start with a single game at the West Campus Aztec Baseball Field on Thursday starting at 1:00 p.m.