By Jim Richards
There was enough elbow grease left in Daniel Romero’s throwing (right) elbow Tuesday afternoon and the Cougars elbowed their way back into second place with a critical double-header sweep of Cochise College. But with only two games remaining, a spot in four-team NJCAA Region I Division I Tournament is not yet a certainty.
The Cougars will need to win one game in this weekend’s home-and-home series with fourth-place Chandler-Gilbert to clinch a playoff spot. They’ll host CGCC Friday at 3 p.m. before traveling to CGCC Saturday at noon.
“If it takes our guys to have their backs against the wall to play like (Tuesday), then we’ll do it again Friday,” SMCC coach Todd Eastin said.
Romero upped his record to 6-2 and lowered his ERA to 1.60 after his seven-inning shutout in Tuesday’s 6-0 opening win. Eastin had been unable to pitch Romero since his seven-inning shutout victory over Yavapai April 5. Eastin estimated Romero's speed was down 6-7 miles per hour.
“He’s been our most valuable guy the last month and a half,” Eastin said of Romero, who also has six saves this season. "He' s confident he'll go out and beat you everytime out there. He'll pitch backward if he has to. If not, he'll pitch conventionally."
The Cougars rallied from a 4-3 deficit in Game 2 to win, 7-5. Shane Dyer worked five scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth when he allowed four runs, but only two earned. Kyle Hurst picked up the save. Josh Garcia had four hits in the double-header and Steven Castillo had three.
Eastin is glad to have Jordan Roualdes (5-0, 2.39) return from a bout with strep throat for Friday’s single game. Jordan Whatcott (5-2, 2.03) is slated to pitch Saturday’s season finale.
Chandler-Gilbert is coming off a double-header loss to Yavapai Tuesday, but had won 8 of 9 conference games prior to the outing.
The standings look like this:
- Yavapai (29-7)--clinched title, will play a double-header at Cochise Saturday.
- SMCC (24-12--) home-and-home, Fri/Sat with Chandler-Gilbert Cochise (23-13)--home, double-header with Yavapai Sat.
- CGCC (22-14)--home and home, vs. South
- Central (22-14)--hosting Pima, double-header Saturday Pima (21-15)--at Central, double-header, Saturday