Posted: Mar 08, 2026
No. 6 SMCC Baseball Splits with Mesa CC, Sweeps No. 21 Pima CC
Mesa Community College
10
#6 South Mountain Community College
5
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mesa Community College | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 1 |
|
#6 South Mountain Community College | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
#6 South Mountain Community College
10
Mesa Community College
2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#6 South Mountain Community College | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 0 |
|
Mesa Community College | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
#21 Pima Community College
8
No. 6 South Mountain Community College
9
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#21 Pima Community College | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 2 |
|
No. 6 South Mountain Community College | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 2 |
#21 Pima Community College
6
#6 South Mountain Community College
14
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#21 Pima Community College | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 8 |
|
#6 South Mountain Community College | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 2 |
PHOENIX ---
The No. 6 South Mountain Community College baseball team (19-9, 12-4 ACCAC Division II) went 3-1 in ACCAC Division II action last week. They split two games with the Mesa CC Thunderbirds, then swept the No. 21 Pima CC Aztecs at home on Saturday, Mar. 7. After falling 10-5 to MCC in a home game on Mar. 3, the Cougars earned a 10-2, eight-inning road victory on Mar. 4. Three days later, SMCC overcame early first-inning deficits in both contests to sweep the Aztecs, winning 9-8 and 14-6 (7 innings) in a matchup of nationally ranked squads.
Mesa CC Mar. 3 Recap
The Cougars fell 10-5 at home to the visiting Thunderbirds. Trailing 5-4 in the top of the seventh, MCC rallied two runs in each of the final three frames to post the victory. Five SMCC errors aided in the Thunderbirds' comeback.
SMCC held an early 2-0 advantage when sophomore Luke Hewes delivered a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the first. The Thunderbirds answered with four-straight runs to hold a 4-2 advantage into the bottom of the sixth, when SMCC scored three to take a one-run lead.
Hewes drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in sophomore Bryan Lorenz, freshman Liu Rodriguez Jr. picked up an RBI with another bases-loaded walk to bring in freshman Brandon Ornelas, and freshman Gabe Coltman delivered a sac fly that plated sophomore Jack Meissner.
However, the Thunderbirds produced multiple runs across the seventh, eighth, and ninth to secure the comeback victory.
Hewes was 2 for 3 with three RBIs, while Lorenz was 2 for 4 with two runs and a double. Ornelas had the Cougars' other double and scored twice, and sophomore Nuri Todd had a pair of hits and a stolen base.
Freshman Izaiah Moraga took the loss on the mound with 3.2 innings of relief work. He allowed three hits, two earned runs, and one walk to go with two strikeouts. Freshman Denzel Montijo started the game for SMCC and went 2.1 innings with one hit, two earned runs, one walk, and two strikeouts.
Sophomore Diego Rodriguez tossed three innings of relief with three hits, one earned run, and three strikeouts.
Mesa CC Mar. 4 Recap
The Cougars rebounded from the loss the previous day with a 10-2, eight-inning road victory over the Thunderbirds. SMCC had 11 hits in the win, including home runs from Lorenz, Hewes, and Ornelas. Sophomore Bobby Pierce Jr. added a double and a triple, and sophomore Ernie Alvarez and Todd recorded doubles.
SMCC led 3-0 in the top of the first after Ornelas belted a three-run home run, the first of his Cougar career, that scored Alvarez and Ornelas.
After MCC made it 3-1 with a run in the second, SMCC answered with four runs in the fifth. Lorenz blasted a two-out, two-run home run that scored Alvarez, and Hewes cranked a two-run shot two batters later that plated Ornelas.
SMCC scored three runs in the top of the eighth to post the run-rule victory. Freshman Aidan Murphy collected a two-run single that scored Hewes and Rodriguez Jr., and Pierce Jr. laced a two-out triple that scored Murphy.
Pierce Jr. was 3 for 5 with an RBI, while Lorenz was 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs. Ornelas added a stolen base to his home run and three RBIs, and Hewes scored twice and drove in two.
Sophomore Braeden McCarroll (3-1) earned the win on the mound with six innings of work. He allowed six hits and two earned runs to go with six strikeouts.
Sophomores Grant Young and Quinn Robertson each pitched an inning of relief with two strikeouts.
No. 21 Pima CC Recap
The Cougars posted a dramatic comeback victory in game one of the doubleheader, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to win 9-8. In game two, SMCC posted 10 hits and got some help from multiple Aztec errors to post a 14-6, seven-inning victory to sweep the twin bill.
Tied 7-7 to start the seventh, Pima CC went ahead 8-7 on a two-out RBI single in the top of the frame. With two outs in the bottom half, Hewes drew a walk and sophomore Matthew McGovern came in as a pinch runner. He stole second and tied the game on an RBI single from Rodriguez Jr.
Murphy then reached on an error, Todd walked to load the bases, and Pierce Jr. dropped a single into right to score Rodriguez Jr. and win the game.
Pima CC led 3-0 after half an inning, but SMCC answered with two runs in its half as Meissner and Hewes picked up RBI singles. The Aztecs added a run in the second, but the Cougars responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning.
Pierce Jr. had an RBi single, Alvarez recorded an RBI groundout, and Lorenz produced a sac fly to put SMCC ahead 5-4. With two outs, Ornelas doubled in Meissner, and Ornelas later scored on a wild pitch to put SMCC ahead 7-4.
Unfortunately, Pima CC hit a three-run home run in the top of the third to tie the game and set up the late dramatics.
Pierce Jr. was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run, while Hewes had an RBI and two stolen bases. Todd drew a pair of walks and scored once, and six other Cougars scored a run in the win.
On the mound, Robertson (2-1) earned the win with 4.2 innings of relief work. He allowed three hits, one earned run, and one walk to go with two strikeouts. Freshman Cody Stoller started the game for SMCC and went one innings with three hits and three earned runs. Freshman Kasen Landry tossed 1.1 innings of relief with four hits and four earned runs.
Game two of the twin bill saw SMCC continue its comeback efforts, overcoming an early 6-2 deficit to win 14-3 in seven innings. The Cougars scored 12 runs over the final five frames.
Trailing 6-2, Hewes hit a two-out double and scored on an RBI single from Rodriguez Jr. in the third. In the fourth, Hewes collected a two-run single and Rodriguez Jr. added another RBI single to tie the game at 6-6
In the fifth, Alvarez scored on a throwing error to put SMCC ahead for good. Hewes and freshman Nathan Bayus then added two-run doubles to put SMCC ahead 11-6 at the inning's conclusion.
Rodriguez Jr. walked to start the seventh and scored on an RBI triple from Bayus. He then scored on a wild pitch to end the game.
Hewes was a perfect 4 for 4 with four RBIs, two runs, two doubles, and a walk. Alvarez scored four times, drew two walks, was hit by a pitch, and stole a base. Rodriguez Jr. went 2 for 3 with two runs, two RBIs, a stolen base, and a walk, while Lorenz was 1 for 3 with two runs, an RBI, a stolen base, and a walk.
Ornelas had the team's fourth stolen base, and Meissner added a sac bunt.
Moraga (1-2) earned the first win of his Cougar career with four innings of relief. He allowed two hits, no earned runs, and one walk to go with two punchouts. Freshman Caden Robinett tossed 1.1 innings of relief with two K's, and sophomore Lukas Geisler started the game and went 1.2 innings with seven hits, three earned runs, and two strikeouts.