East Central CC Edges SMCC Baseball 10-9 at Division II World Series

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College baseball team (47-18) lost 10-9 to East Central CC (MS) Sunday morning at the NJCAA Division II World Series at David Allen Ballpark in Enid, Okla. Drew Johnson, Bryan Lorenz, and Bobby Pierce Jr. homered to help the Cougars erase a 6-0 deficit and tie the game at 9-9 in the bottom of the eighth. However, the Warriors pushed across the winning run on a two-out single in the ninth and turned a double play to end the game and SMCC's comeback hopes in the bottom half. 

ECCC scored four runs in the top of the first and added two more in the fifth to take a 6-0 lead. Johnson got SMCC on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, his fifth deep fly of the season. 

The Cougars scored three more times in the bottom of the sixth to pull within 6-4. Pierce Jr. doubled to start the frame and scored on an RBI single from Joe Terranova. After moving to third on a groundout, Terranova scored on an RBI groundout from Lorenz. Luke Jones singled, Marcus Romero doubled, and Johnson walked to load the bases with two outs. A pitch then hit Landon Springmeyer to push Jones across the plate. 

The Warriors got a run back in the top of the seventh, but Lorenz answered with a three-run home run, his eighth of the year, to tie the game at 7-7. Terranova and Pierce Jr. scored on the blast. 

ECCC responded with a two-run home run in the top of the eighth to reclaim a 9-7 advantage. Pierce Jr. had the answer this time, blasting a two-run home run in the bottom half that scored Johnson and knotted the game at 9-9. 

Unfortunately, the Warriors pushed across the winning run in the top of the ninth with a two-out RBI single. In the bottom half, Parada singled to start the frame, and a pitch hit Jones with one out to put the tying run in scoring position. However, the next batter grounded into a double play to end the game. 

Pierce Jr. led the charge offensively for SMCC, finishing 3 for 5 with a double, a home run, three runs, and two RBIs. Johnson was 1 for 2 with two runs, two RBIs, and the home run, and Lorenz finished with four RBIs. Terranova scored twice and added an RBI, and Romero recorded a pair of hits. 

Christopher Mata (3-1) took the loss for SMCC. He tossed two innings of relief with two hits, three earned runs, three walks, and a strikeout. Luis Martin Romero started the game for the Cougars and went four innings with seven hits, five earned runs, six walks, and one strikeout. 

Thomas Peck threw 2.2 innings of relief with two hits, one earned run, and one walk, and Sam Yeager got an important out to end the seventh. 

SMCC will try to keep its season alive on Monday, May 26, with an elimination game against Southeastern CC (IA) at 1 p.m. CT / 11 a.m. AZ.