Cochise Baseball concludes 2024 season splitting doubleheader with Arizona Western

DOUGLAS, Ariz. --- Cochise Baseball wrapped up their 2024 regular season Saturday hosting Arizona Western College for a doubleheader at Bo Hall Field. The Apaches were on the outside looking in the region playoff picture heading into Saturday's games, hoping for a lot of pieces to fall in place to clinch the fourth and final spot. 

Game 1: Cochise 4, Arizona Western 2

The Apaches took Game 1 from the Mats 4-2 on Saturday. AWC opened the scoring in the first inning taking an early lead. Cochise responded in the bottom half with a Kieran Gaffney sacrifice fly tying the game at one. A Gaffney single in the third gave the Apaches a lead, followed by an AWC error scoring another run. Freshman righthanded pitcher Mathis Nayral started on the mound for Cochise surrendering seven hits and two runs over seven innings, striking out three and walking none. Gaffney went 1-for-2 at the plate with one RBI. Pablo Garcia, Kenneth Rhein, and Mathis Meurant each had one hit. 

Game 2: Cochise 6, Arizona Western 8

Even though Cochise collected 13 hits as a team, they still fell to AWC 8-6 in Game 2. It was a back-and-forth affair early on in the game, but the Mats tried to pull away scoring four runs in the top of the fourth padding an 8-3 lead over Cochise. The Apaches fought back in the eighth inning scoring three runs but fell short in the ninth with bases loaded on a George Hogan strikeout to end the game. Gaffney led the Apaches offensively to conclude his big day on his final games at Cochise College. The sophomore collected three more hits. Freshman Francisco Laya homered to left field in the first inning. Pierre Doat, Hadley Smith, Mathis Meurant, and Ruben Villaescusa each collected multiple hits for Cochise. Freshman lefty Sam Pitts started on the mound for the Apaches lasting one and one-third innings and was relieved by Alex Figueroa and Olmedo Quezada.

Cochise Baseball finishes the 2024 season 34-22 for the second consecutive season, falling just short of the Region 1 playoffs with a 5th-place finish in the ACCAC DI standings. The Apaches say farewell to ten outgoing sophomores who played their final games at Bo Hall Field which include: Tyson Noel, Ruben Villaescusa, Eduardo Torres, Mason Wray, George Hogan III, Adrian Diaz, Alex Figueroa, Pablo Garcia, Mathis Meurant, Kieran Gaffney.