By Matt Hickman/Sierra Vista Herald
PHOENIX — Team ace Zach Rodgers ran his record on the season to 9-0, pitching the Cochise College baseball team to a 6-1 win over South Mountain Community College on Tuesday in Phoenix. The Cougars then eked out a 6-5 win over the Apaches in the late game, keeping Cochise tied for first with Central Arizona in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference standings.
“Anytime you get that first game, you always want the sweep,” Cochise head coach Todd Inglehart said. “But we go on the road and basically hold serve against a good playoff club like South Mountain.”
Leadoff hitter Nate Hale had three hits in the opener, including a two-run triple in the sixth to break open a 3-0 game.
Rodgers allowed six hits and struck out four.
Steven Naemark ran into trouble in the fifth inning of game two and was pulled for Kevin Dorantes after the Cougars had turned a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead.
Cochise tied it at 5-5 in the seventh when Austin Nelson reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on a booted grounder from the bat of Hale.
South Mountain went up 6-5 in the eighth on a sacrifice fly, making a hard-luck loser of Dorantes, who allowed three hits and struck out five.
Cochise put two on with one out in the ninth, but the South Mountain closer struck out Hale and Frank Salas to end it.
“We didn’t pitch as well in the second game,” Inglehart said. “But Kevin Dorantes is really getting it done for us. He pitched better today, but got the loss. He’s really saved us out of the pen.”
On Saturday, the Apaches (35-11, 21-7 ACCAC) host Eastern Arizona in a doubleheader starting at noon on the Douglas Campus. Admission is free to all regular-season home games.