Posted: May 24, 2026
No. 8 SMCC Baseball Defeats No. 9 Parkland to Open Play at DII World Series
Parkland College
(41-20)
5
South Mountain Community College
(47-16)
11
| TOP 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Parkland College | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 1 |
|
South Mountain Community College | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | X | 11 | 10 | 2 |
All Photos Used Courtesy of NJCAA
Photo Gallery Courtesy of NJCAA
PHOENIX ---
The eighth-seeded South Mountain Community College baseball team (47-16) defeated Parkland College (IL) 11-5 in its first game at the 2026 NJCAA Division II World Series at David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Okla. Freshman Aidan Murphy went 3 for 5 with a triple, a home run, four RBIs, two runs, and a home-run stealing catch in right field to help lead the Cougars to the victory. Sophomores Bryan Lorenz, Luke Hewes, and Nuri Todd blasted home runs, and sophomore Braeden McCarroll earned the win with an inning of relief, and freshman Izaiah Moraga recorded his sixth save of the year with three innings of relief.
SMCC jumped on the board with five runs in the second to take a 5-1 lead. Hewes led off the frame with a solo blast, his seventh of the season, to tie the game.
Freshman Liu Rodriguez Jr. and Alvarez then drew walks before moving into scoring position on a sac bunt from Todd. Sophomore Bobby Pierce Jr. broke the 1-1 tie with an RBI groundout and, after a pitch hit Lorenz, Murphy cleared the bases with a three-run home run, his second of the year.
The Cougars added to their lead in the third with a pair of runs. Alvarez doubled with two outs and trotted home on a two-run home run from Todd, his fourth of the season.
After Parkland got two back in the top of the fourth, SMCC scored once in its half when Lorenz launched a solo home run, his seventh of the year. Freshman Brandon Ornelas then made it 9-3 in the sixth with an RBI single to bring home Lorenz.
Parkland pushed across in two runs in the seventh, but Murphy answered with an RBI triple that scored Todd. An error on the play allowed him to come home and conclude the scoring at 11-5.
Lorenz finished 2 for 4 with three runs and one RBI, while Todd was 1 for 2 with two runs, two RBIs, a sac bunt, and a walk. Ornelas was 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI, and a stolen base, while Alvarez was 1 for 3 with two runs, a walk, and a steal.
On the mound, Stoller went five innings and allowed seven hits, three earned runs, and two walks to go with five strikeouts. McCarroll (7-1) went one inning with two hits, two earned runs, and two walks while fanning three. Moraga closed the door with three innings of shutout relief. He allowed three hits and two walks to go with five K's.
SMCC advances to face top-seeded Kellogg CC (MI) in round two of the World Series on Sunday, May 24. First pitch is slated for 4 pm CT / 2 pm MT (AZ).