SIGNAL PEAK — When a big hit was needed, the sixth-ranked Central Arizona College baseball team delivered in Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Paradise Valley.

Spencer O'Neil's home run in the seven-inning opener and doubles by Riley Joyce and Cody Erickson in the nine-inning second game propelled the Vaqueros to 9-0 and 8-4 wins at CAC Field.

"This was a good test for us," CAC coach Jon Wente said. "Getting hits when you need them definitely is something you can build on."

O'Neil's homer leading off the fifth inning snapped a scoreless tie in the opener. The Vaqueros took a 5-0 lead with a five-run fourth inning in Game 2, getting a two-run double from Joyce and Erickson's double that drove in three runs.

The Vaqueros (9-2, 2-0 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference) had only two hits off Paradise Valley starter Nick Sornsin in Game 1 until O'Neil drove an 0-1 pitch over the right-field fence for his second of the season.

"He got us going today," Wente said.

Erickson followed with a double, and he scored when Cody Farrell drew a bases-loaded walk off reliever Nick Kloos with two outs.

Central sent 11 to the plate in a seven-run sixth. After Manny Ramirez Jr. and O'Neil were hit by pitches to start the inning, Erickson got aboard on a bunt single to load the bases. Colby Hamilton followed with a two-run double to left.

Then came an RBI single by Andris Rizquez, a run-scoring groundout by Aaron Smith and David Petrino's RBI single. Petrino scored on the second of the Pumas' two errors in the inning, and Tim Hergert capped the rally with an RBI double.

Erickson went 3 for 3 and Rizquez went 2 for 4 as the Vaqueros finished with nine hits. O'Neil and Erickson both scored two runs.

Niccioli Blank (2-0) limited PVCC to two hits in six innings — an infield single by Nate Ruane leading off the game and Brick Paskicwicz's single leading off the fourth. The sophomore right-hander struck out six and walked three.

Sean Maxon pitched the seventh. Central turned a 4-6-3 double play following a leadoff walk, and the game ended with Maxon striking out Brennan Shipp after hitting Colin O'Neil.

Paradise Valley had at least one batter aboard in the first five innings. Paskicwicz was stranded at second in the fourth. Sam Rimer and Colin O'Neil drew walks to begin the fifth, but Blank escaped by striking out Shipp on a third-strike bunt attempt, retiring Ruane on a flyout to left and striking out Caleb McKinnon.

Blank "made some big pitches and righted his own ship," Wente said. "We believe in him a lot, and he did exactly what we expected him to do."

Wente said Blank would have pitched the seventh if the score had been closer.

"But getting the extra runs, it was time," Wente said. "We have a lot of trust in our bullpen."

Rizquez went 3 for 3 with an RBI single and two stolen bases in the second game as CAC collected nine hits. Erickson had a fourth RBI with a sacrifice fly to cap CAC's three-run eighth. Spencer O'Neil went 2 for 3 with two runs scored.

Winning pitcher Jared Koenig (2-0) kept the Pumas scoreless for 11⁄3 innings after relieving starter Justin Seiwald with two outs in the fifth. Paradise Valley scored three in the fifth and one in the seventh.

Joel Kuhnel allowed one run in two innings, and Junior Zepeda worked a scoreless ninth for the Vaqueros.

Paradise Valley (8-5, 0-2) has lost four of five since a 7-1 start.