Apaches punch ticket into playoffs with series win over Yavapai
Douglas, Ariz. --- Cochise Baseball looked to get things back on track late in the season, as they visited the Yavapai College Roughriders for a three-game series.
Friday, April 25th (Game 1, 9 innings): Cochise 14, Yavapai 13
The series started with an offensive slugfest, with Cochise on the downside of a 7-2 deficit through three innings. Cochise played some passing of the baton as walks and wild pitches allowed them to chip away slowly. A Sawyer Fech single in the sixth drove in two runs and tied the game at eight. Noah Allison followed with an RBI double before scoring on a sacrifice fly. Fech once again broke the tie with an RBI single in the seventh inning, putting Cochise up 11-10. The eighth inning included RBI singles from Kenneth Rhein and TJ Shaw for the Apaches 13th and 14th runs. Collin Smith lasted seven innings, despite allowing eight runs. Daniel Gomez finished the last two innings, allowing one earned run and striking out five.
Saturday, April 26th (Game 2, 9 innings): Cochise 5, Yavapai 7
Cochise wasted no time getting on the board in this one, with T.J. Shaw's two-run double in the first inning. Down 4-2, Kenneth Rhein launched a two-run home run over the center field wall to tie the game. Tyson Owens reached base and scored the team's fifth run on an error. Unfortunately, the Apaches would give up three runs in the next three innings and fail to mount a comeback. Mathis Nayral got the start for Cochise, going eight full innings, getting charged with three of the five runs. Daniel Gomez came in relief for a third of an inning and gave up the last two runs Yavapai needed.
Saturday, April 26th (Game 3, 9 innings): Cochise 7, Yavapai 4
Andrugh Yee doubled in a run to get the Apaches on the board and later scored on an error to grab the lead in the fourth inning. Francisco Laya singled in a run in the fifth, stretching the lead to two. Kenneth Rhein's RBI single and Laya scoring on a wild pitch had Cochise cruising with a 7-1 lead. Yavapai was able to make things interesting with three more runs but couldn't catch the Apaches. Ramses Guerra was on the bump for the finale, pitching five and two-thirds innings, allowing three earned runs, and striking out eight batters. Alejandro Vanegas closed out the final inning and a third, giving up one earned run.
Up Next...
After getting back into the win column, the Apaches (42-14, 23-13) earned the No. 2 seed in their region and will host Central Arizona College on May 1 at 2:00 p.m. for Game 1, May 2 at 2:00 p.m. for Game 2, and May 3 at 2:00 p.m. for Game 3 (if necessary), at Bo Hall Field in Douglas, Arizona.
(Submitted by: Jacob Saavedra, Cochise College Sports Information Assistant)