Cochise baseball gets first ACCAC sweep over Yavapai

On Saturday, Feb. 19, the Cochise College baseball team took the game against Yavapai College in dramatic fashion, with a 3-2 walk-off victory. The game was tied at two, with Cochise batting in the bottom of the seventh when Cameron Crotte singled on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring one run. Jose Velasquez led things off on the mound for Apaches. The right-hander surrendered two runs on five hits over five innings, striking out three with no walks. Cochise surrendered two runs in the first inning but battled back to score two of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning. Connor Caskenette had an RBI single, and Eduarny Martinez singled on a 0-1 count to tie the game up at 2. With bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, sophomore first baseman Cameron Crotte delivered a walk-off single for the win.

Freshman RHP Fernando Barreda led things off on the hill for Apaches. The pitcher allowed five hits and three runs over five innings, striking out seven and walking one. Cochise got on the board first after scoring three runs in the bottom of the third inning. In the fourth inning, the Apaches added another run when Leo Melendez singled on a 0-1 count, scoring one run. Cochise would also score three more runs in the seventh inning. A triple led the Apaches' big bats in the inning by Eduarny Martinez and a single by Cameron Crotte. Yavapai fought back and made the last inning interesting as they had bases loaded and no outs. Freshman RHP Mathias LaCombe, a relief pitcher, got a big double play and another groundout to finish the ball game. Cochise completed the sweep over Yavapai and will take on Pima Community College on Feb. 22 in Tucson.