Central Arizona won the tight first game and mercy-ruled the second game on Saturday to complete a week-end four game sweep of El Paso Community College.

Tough to win a game when your opponent's pitching staff gives you two earned runs in 28 innings.

GAME 1

Will McAffer pitched a first-five shutout striking out six and Bradley Gonzales came on for the final two with five k's out of his six outs. That's three straight quality starts from Will. "Big Cat" Gonzales is just getting started. Alix Garcia drove in two runs with a couple of base hits, Andrew Chartrand and Matt Kroon each had an rbi also as Central scored four times in the first three innings to win 4-1. Brad Morgan doubled, walked and scored twice as the DH hitting second. When you're not banging them around, you move 'em around and that's what Central did.

Sacrifices advancing runners from catcher Chris Diehl and Pikai Duque-Winchester. Sometimes there's just as much joy in a successful sacrifice as there is when one leaves the house.

GAME 2

This one was tight after six innings with the Vaqueros leading 4-2, but in the bottom of the seventh Central blew it out with eight runs and it's a mercy rule. Final, 12-2.

Who had a day at the plate? Matt Kroon is who.

Kroon reached all five times and tripled twice, singled twice and walked, scoring five runs. He can play plenty of positions and has been a big help in the infield lately. He joined this Vaqueros team late and has jumped right in, his current batting average after 12 games is .353 and he's scored 13 times.

The fun didn't stop there, third baseman Roger Varela and left fielder Jake Vander Wal (triple) each went 3-4 and Central added a Pikai double and SAC fly, and Alix Garcia brought one home with another SAC fly.

On the mound, it's the day everyone has been looking for from Grant Townsend. When he's spotting (and even when he's not), it seems so difficult to catch up to that fast ball. Townsend struck out ten batters in 5.2. What a performance. 

Andrew Edwards finished off the final 1.1 for Central like this:

Sit-sit-sit-sit. Thank you.

Edwards struck out all four batters he faced, and these two struck out 14 of the 21 outs available. No post game quotes from the head coach, none needed, there's just nothing you can say.

Side Notes

-Central won the week winning all six games.

-Alix Garcia leads the team in BA at .407 and OBP at .564, he is also tied with Jake Vander Wal with BB at 9.

-Central has a team ERA of 2.15 and has given up one homerun.

-The Vaqueros are second in the ACCAC in HB. Not sure what that means, but a hit batter is as good as a hit. For the most part.

Blade

bladestage@gmail.com