Pima media-relations director Ray Suarez contributed information for this report:
The Pima Community College baseball team secured its fifth straight 30-win season (excluding the 2020 season impacted by COVID-19) on Saturday as it hosted Scottsdale at the West Campus Aztec Field.
The 13th-ranked Aztecs (30-10, 16-8 in ACCAC) dropped the first game but bounced back with a run-rule victory against Scottsdale (18-19, 9-15).
Sophomore Caleb Herd (Cienega) finished the day 4 or 6 with five RBIs and four runs. Fellow sophomore Brant Kragel was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs.
Game 1: Scottsdale 8, (13) Pima 6: The Aztecs took the lead after two innings, but the Artichokes rallied off seven straight runs to hand Pima just their third loss at Aztec Field this season (19-3).
The Aztecs broke open a 1-1 tie with three runs in the second inning. Herd hit an RBI single to give Pima the lead. Kragel drew a bases loaded walk and sophomore Elijah Reeves (Marana) scored on a wild pitch as the Aztecs led 4-1.
The Artichokes scored four runs in the fourth inning and three runs in the sixth to take an 8-4 advantage.
Sophomore David Shackelford hit a sacrifice-fly RBI in the sixth and sophomore Ruben Castro (Tucson) scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, but the rally fell short.
Herd finished 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run while Kragel was 1 for 3 with two RBIs. Reeves went 1 for 2 with three runs.
Freshman Maclain Roberts took the loss as he pitched 3 2/3 innings, giving up five runs (five earned) on six hits with one strikeout and three walks.
Game 2: (13) Pima 15, Scottsdale 5 (7 innings): The Pima offense wasted no time as they took the lead early and used a five-run sixth inning to help secure the run-rule win.
Freshman Collin Senior put Pima ahead in the first inning with a bases-clearing three-run RBI double scoring Reeves, sophomore Nick Arias (Tucson) and Kragel.
The Aztecs scored six runs in the third inning. Kragel, Senior and sophomore Jontae Hennesy loaded the bases with no outs to set up freshman Chase Cummings’ grand slam to make it 7-0.
Arias hit an RBI double later inning and Shackelford had an RBI groundout to make it 9-0.
The Artichokes cut into Pima’s lead with four runs in the top of the sixth, but the Aztecs countered with five runs in the bottom of the inning.
Senior led off with a triple and was driven in by Hennesy’s RBI single in the next at-bat. The next two batters reached base to load them up and Herd came through with a grand slam scoring Hennesy, Cummings and sophomore Austin Madsen (Canyon del Oro).
Herd finished the game 2 for 3 with four RBIs and three runs while Cummings went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs. Senior was 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs and Arias closed it out going 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run. Kragel, Hennesy and Madsen each scored two runs.
Sophomore J.T. Drake picked up the win as he pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up five runs (one earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
The Aztecs will be back on the road on Tuesday when they play Phoenix College in an ACCAC doubleheader. First game starts at noon.
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