TUCSON — The Cochise College baseball team split against Pima Community College on Saturday, falling in game one 8-0 and winning game two 2-1.
Xavier Altamirano took the loss in the early game, allowing eight runs in five innings while walking one and striking out three. Pima scored four in the fifth and four more in the sixth while the Apaches scattered just four hits.
A superb relief effort by Josh Advocate led Cochise to the late afternoon win. He racked up 12 strikeouts and allowed just one hit over six scoreless innings. Jovan Ewusie led Cochise at the plate, going 3 for 4 with singles in the second, fourth and sixth innings. Darick Hall, Francisco Silva and Sean DeSoto each went 2 for 4.
Pima scored in the bottom of the first on a groundout to second base and Cochise tied it in the top of the second on an infield single by Silva that scored Zion Bell. The Apaches took the lead in the fifth and held on for the win.
Cochise is 29-23 overall heading into its final two doubleheaders of the season. Tuesday, Cochise plays its regular-season home finale against Paradise Valley starting at noon, and on Saturday, the Apaches travel to Central Arizona.