Posted: Mar 26, 2026
No. 9 SMCC Baseball Sweeps ACCAC Series with GateWay CC
#9 South Mountain Community College
13
GateWay Community College - AZ
8
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#9 South Mountain Community College | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 15 | 4 |
|
GateWay Community College - AZ | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 3 |
GateWay Community College - AZ
1
#9 South Mountain Community College
9
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
GateWay Community College - AZ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
#9 South Mountain Community College | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 13 | 0 |
PHOENIX ---
The No. 9 South Mountain Community College baseball team (29-11, 20-4 ACCAC) defeated GateWay CC 13-8 on Mar. 24 and 9-1 (7 innings) on Mar. 25 in a pair of ACCAC Division II conference games. The Cougars overcame an early 4-0 deficit in the Mar. 24 13-8 road victory. Sophomore Bryan Lorenz led the charge offensively with four hits and three runs, freshman Brandon Ornelas had two doubles, two runs, and two RBIs, and freshman Aidan Murphy had three hits and two RBIs in the win. The next day, SMCC got 6.1 outstanding innings of relief from freshman Denzel Montijo, and Ornelas finished a triple short of the cycle as the Cougars posted the run-rule home victory over the Geckos.
Mar. 24 Recap
GateWay CC jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a four-run third inning, although only one of the runs was an earned run of SMCC starter Dallas Dunn. He went 2.2 innings with two hits, three walks, and two strikeouts.
SMCC responded with two runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to tie the game. Sophomore Jack Meissner delivered a two-run single in the third that scored freshman Liu Rodriguez Jr. and Ornelas. In the fifth, Ornelas picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice, and sophomore Bryan Lorenz scored on an error to tie the game.
The Cougars exploded for eight runs in the sixth to take a 12-4 lead. Sophomore Bobby Pierce Jr. roped a two-run double, Lorenz had an RBI single, Ornelas collected an RBI double, sophomore Luke Hewes drew a bases-loaded walk, and Murphy posted a two-run single in the frame.
After GWCC scored a run in the bottom of the sixth, SMCC got it back in the top of the seventh when Lorenz scored on a wild pitch.
Lorenz went 4 for 6 with three runs, an RBI, a double, and a stolen base. Ornelas was 3 for 5 with two runs, two doubles, two RBIs, and a stolen base, while Murphy was 3 for 5 with two RBIs and a run.
Pierce Jr. added two runs, two RBIs, and two walks to his triple, and Meissner was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run.
Sophomore Diego Rodriguez (1-0) earned the win with 4.1 innings of relief work. He allowed six hits, two earned runs, and one walk to go with three K's. Freshman Caden Robinett tossed two innings of relief with two hits, one unearned run, and one strikeout.
Mar. 25 Recap
Montijo (2-0) was terrific on the mound to earn the win in relief as SMCC won 9-1 in seven innings. He allowed one hit, walked two, and hit a batter over 6.1 innings to go with five strikeouts. Sophomore Blake Bell started the game for SMCC.
After the Geckos scored a run in the first, SMCC immediately responded with two runs in the first behind RBI singles from Ornelas and Meissner.
The Cougars tacked on a run in the third when Ornelas launched a solo home run, his second of the year, over the fence in left.
SMCC then scored five runs in the fifth to take an 8-1 lead. Ornelas roped an RBI double, Meissner had a two-run single, Murphy doubled in Meissner, and Pierce Jr. drove in Murphy with an RBI single in the frame.
The Cougars walked off with the win in the bottom of the seventh on Pierce Jr's RBI single to right that scored sophomore Gavin Short.
Ornelas was 3 for 4 with three RBIs, two runs, a stolen base, and missed the cycle by a triple. Murphy had three hits for the second-straight game, adding a double, a run, a stolen base, and an RBI.
Lorenz, Pierce Jr., and Meissner all had two hits in the victory. Lorenz scored twice and walked once, while Pierce Jr. had two RBIs and a stolen base. Meissner tied a season high with three RBIs and added a run and a stolen base.
