The 12th-ranked Pima Community College baseball team split an ACCAC doubleheader against Paradise Valley on Monday at the West Campus Aztec Field after winning the first game by run-rule.
Freshman Jackson Glueck finished the day 3 for 7 with an RBI and five runs for Pima (23-7, 11-7 ACCAC).
Sophomore Collin Senior went 5 for 8 with two RBIs and three runs. Freshman Leon Cereceres was 3 for 7 with three RBIs and a run in the leadoff spot. Freshman Luis Pablo Navarro (Walden Grove) picked up the win in the first game and freshman Shawn Barros (Salpointe) took the loss in the second game against Paradise Valley (19-10, 13-5)
Game 1: (12) Pima 13, Paradise Valley 3 (6 innings)
Sophomore Ray Jesse hit a walk-off RBI single to seal the win in the sixth inning.
The Aztecs fell behind 3-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning. Freshman Mike Jones (Canyon del Oro) put the Aztecs on the board with an RBI single to drive in Glueck, and three batters later, Cereceres tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run single to score Jones and freshman Ramon Martinez.
The Aztecs continued the momentum in the third inning with five more runs. Glueck and Senior hit back-to-back RBI singles as they took advantage of two errors and a passed ball to take an 8-3 lead.
They tacked on another four runs in the fifth inning. Martinez and Jesse had two straight RBI hits and sophomore Caden Richards capped the inning with his RBI double to bring in Cereceres as Pima went up 12-3.
Jesse went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run while Richards went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run. Cereceres was 1 for 2 with two RBIs, a run and two walks. Glueck and Martinez each finished 1 for 3 with an RBI and two runs. Senior went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run and Jones finished 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run.
Navarro picked up the win as he pitched five innings, giving up three runs on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks on 86 pitches.
Game 2: Paradise Valley 14, (12) Pima 8
The Pumas scored runs in the first eight innings as the Pima rally fell short.
The Aztecs got their offense going in the fourth and fifth innings.
After two straight singles by Glueck and Senior, freshman Zach Plasschaert, formerly of Arizona, drove a three-run homer to cut the deficit to 7-4 in the fourth inning.
Senior and Plasschaert hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the fifth inning. Jones hit an RBI single to plate Plasschaert, and Cereceres’ RBI single capped the inning after Jones came in to score. The Aztecs trailed 9-8.
The Pumas responded with five unanswered runs to close the game.
Plasschaert hit his first RBI double of the day in the second inning as he closed out the game 4 for 5 with five RBIs and two runs. Glueck went 2 for 4 with three runs while Senior was 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs. Cereceres finished 2 for 5 with an RBI and Jones was 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run.
Barros took pitching 2 1/3 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits with two walks.
The Aztecs will hit the road on Saturday for an ACCAC doubleheader at Chandler-Gilbert. The first game starts at noon.
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