By Matt Hickman/Sierra Vista Herald
CHANDLER — Zach Rodgers pitched all 10 innings to get the win in game one, and Tagg Duce had clutch extra-base hits in both games as the Cochise College baseball team ran its winning streak to seven games with a sweep at Chandler-Gilbert.
Rodgers allowed seven hits and seven strikeouts, going three extra frames to get the 3-1 win in the early game Tuesday.
Duce broke open a scoreless tie in the sixth with a solo home run. With the score tied at 1-1 in the top of the 10th, Esteban Bastidas drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single, and scored the third run on a double by Jake Luna, who had three hits in the opener.
Duce had three hits in the second game, also won by Cochise, 4-3. The game was tied in the sixth when Duce doubled, stole third and scored when the Coyotes’ catcher’s throw went into left field. It was Duce’s second double on the day to go with two RBIs.
“We didn’t hit it at all well today, but we pitched it and played very good defense,” Cochise head coach Todd Inglehart said. “Tagg picked us up with a couple of big hits, and that’s what good players do, they have moments when they make up for the team’s inefficiencies.”
Winners of their last seven, and their last six conference games, the Apaches have also won 12 of their last 13 to improve to 29-9 on the season and remain a game back of Central Arizona for the conference lead.
On Saturday, Cochise is home for a noon doubleheader against Mesa on the Douglas Campus. Admission is free to all regular-season home games.