Cochise baseball splits with Chandler-Gilbert on the road

The Cochise College baseball team traveled to Chandler-Gilbert on Tuesday, March 22, for a doubleheader conference series. In the first game, the Apaches turned the ball over to Sophomore RHP Jose Velazquez. Velazquez went five and a third innings, allowing three runs on five hits, striking out five and walking zero. Mathias LaCombe threw two-thirds of an inning in relief out of the bullpen. Cochise fell behind early and couldn't come back in a 3-0 loss to Chandler-Gilbert.  Chandler-Gilbert took the lead on a double in the second inning that scored two runs. The pitching was the highlight of the game for both teams. Unfortunately, Cochise couldn't get anything going offensively, and we're kept scoreless for the game leading to a 3-0 defeat. Aaron Marsh, Cameron Crotte, Eduarny Martinez, and Melendez collected one hit to lead the Apaches.

Cochise responded offensively with double-digit hits and runs in game two of the doubleheader. Five hits from Aaron Marsh helped lead Cochise past Chandler-Gilbert 14-5. Marsh doubled in the first, doubled in the fifth, singled in the sixth, singled in the seventh, and singled in the eighth. Cochise got things started in the first inning when Connor Caskenette doubled on a 1-1 count, scoring one run. Freshman RHP Fernando Barreda was on the mound for the Apaches. Barreda allowed three hits and three runs over three and two-thirds innings, striking out three. Martin Miranda relieved Barreda and continued to pound the strike zone and keep hitters off-balance as he has done all year out of the bullpen. Miranda went two and a third innings allowing no runs.

Cochise pulled away for good with three runs in the fifth inning. In the fifth, an error scored one run for Cochise, Joel Lindahl doubled on a 1-2 count, scoring one run, and Caskenette singled on a 1-0 count. The Apaches continued to push runs across home with three in the seventh inning from a single by Dylan Bradford and a double by Lindahl. Cochise tallied 20 hits in the game. Marsh, Caskenette, Gerardo Hernandez, Bradford, and Lindahl managed multiple hits for the Apaches. Marsh went 5-for-6 at the plate to lead Cochise in hits. The Apaches will be back in action this coming Saturday at home in a doubleheader against Scottsdale Community College.