SMCC Baseball Rallies to Split Doubleheader at CGCC

PHOENIX --- 

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (10-4, 7-3 ACCAC) split an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference doubleheader at Chandler-Gilbert CC on Mar. 13, winning the first game 5-3 (8 innings) before falling 8-5 (7 innings) in the second game. In the 5-3 victory, Dustin Bermudez hit a sac fly, and Holden Breeze added a two-out, RBI triple in the top of the eighth, and Shawn Triplett slammed the door on the win with his third save of the season. 

Game One

In a game it trailed 3-0, the Cougars scored five runs over the final four innings to defeat the Coyotes. 

In extra innings, the game adopted international tiebreaker rules, and the frame started with a runner, Paul Sachen, on second. He moved to third on a sac bunt by Brodie Marino and then scored on Bermudez's sac fly. Quinn drew a two-out walk and then came around to score on Breeze's two-out triple. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Triplett retired the side in order with two strikeouts to earn the win. 

The Coyotes scored three runs in the first off SMCC starter Alec Stanfield, who tossed 2.1 innings with two strikeouts. 

That score held until the top of the fifth when Andrew Lucas hit a two-run home run, his third of the season, that scored McKay Barney. 

In the sixth, Quinn delivered a two-out RBI single to score Brice Martinez and tie the game.

Quinn finished 3-for-4 with a run, RBI, walk and two stolen bases. Martinez and Breeze each had two hits and a stolen base in the win. 

Game Two 

The Cougars and Coyotes exchanged four-run innings early, but a three-run fourth pushed CGCC to the win. 

Chandler-Gilbert CC struck for four runs in the first of SMCC starter Derek Decolati.

The Cougars responded with four runs in the second. Michael Quinones started the frame with a single and moved to second when Esteban Hernandez reached on an error. Marino then singled to load the bases, and Martinez drew a bases-loaded walk to give SMCC its first run. Quinn had an RBI sac fly and, with two outs, Breeze delivered a two-run single. 

SMCC took a 5-4 lead in the top of the third when Martinez hit a two-out double and then scored on an RBI single from Quinn. 

However, the Coyotes struck for three two-out runs in the top of the fourth off Matt Bohnert. They added an insurance run in the sixth to secure the victory. 

Bohnert (0-3) took the loss after tossing 3.1 innings with six K's and two earned runs. Lucas tossed the final two innings, fanning three and allowing one unearned run. 

Martinez and Quinn each had two hits in the loss, and Martinez added a double and a stolen base. 

The Cougars return to action with a busy week ahead of them. SMCC hits the road for doubleheaders at Eastern Arizona (Mar. 16), Glendale CC (Mar. 17) and Cochise College (Mar. 20).