By Matt Hickman/Sierra Vista Herald
YUMA — The Cochise College baseball team swept Arizona Western on Tuesday, winning the first game 2-1 in 14 innings and the second 6-2.
Those wins, coupled with a single win by Central Arizona on Tuesday, give Cochise a half-game lead in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference standings with a week-and-a-half left in the regular season.
Cochise’s Zach Rodgers aimed for his 10th win of the season in the opener and pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing six hits and striking out six. Kevin Dorantes came on in a scoreless game and went the next 5 1/3 to get the win.
Cochise scored the game’s first runs in the 14th on a push bunt by Jason Parks, and went ahead 2-0 on an RBI single by Austin Nelson.
Western managed an unearned run in the bottom of the inning, and the Apaches went to the bullpen again for Jacob Potts, who induced a game-ending double play.
Tagg Duce had three hits and Nelson had two.
In the second game, Cochise trailed 1-0 in the fifth when a sacrifice fly by Nelson tied it and was followed by a three-run home run by Duce.
Steven Naemark went all seven innings for the win, allowing seven hits and two unearned runs.
“I thought today was huge … that’s a tough place to win,” Cochise head coach Todd Inglehart said. “We continue to pitch well and find ways to win, but this is the time of year when that’s what it’s all about.”
The Apaches (39-11 overall, 25-7 ACCAC) are home on the Douglas Campus for a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon against Pima Community College. Admission is free to all regular-season home games.