Although Central Arizona College recently went through it's first and only three game losing streak of the year, here at the end of the regular season, there's no real worry in the Vaqueros camp. 

You don't want to be too comfortable, but things are going fairly well even though Central hasn't played maximum baseball in the past few games.

With a 13-2 thrashing of South Mountain Saturday, the win is a reminder of what Central does as the season winds down to it's final two doubleheaders.

Central has clinched a play-off position and with South Mountain's win against the Vaqueros Friday, they have clinched the number one seed throughout the post-season, or however long they go. Central can get a 2, 3, or 4 seed, which seemingly isn't that important.

What's important is that any team can beat any team in this "final four", and regardless of how these four teams finish, it means nothing come post-season.

"It's just a few things we have to get back to, to be at our best" said head coach Anthony Gilich.

"Mental misses, things we've done all year that lately we haven't."

And yet the saying has come back.

"We have to find a way to win these types of games."

The last three losses have been tense one-run losses. 

Saturday's baseball game was fairly tight for the first six innings with RJ Dabovich holding South Mountain to two runs with a 5-2 lead, while striking out six. If you have a bullpen problem, these Vaqueros will eat you up. Central went off for eight runs in the final three innings to make it a 13-2 final.

It just doesn't seem that Central has a middle-to-late-innings pitching issue, at all. All year it's been like this. This is one one fun thing to think about for upcoming games.

This time it was Joe Standley and Grady Miller shutting down South Mountain for the final three. 

Ernny Ordonez had four hits including a double, scored three times, stole a couple of bags, and Brennan Reback added three more hits with a double and three rbi's. Shortstop Liam Spence was on base all five times going 3-3 with two walks and what else can you ask for in a leadoff???? Spence also stole a base. Jake Vander Wal and Alix Garcia had a couple of pops apiece to add. 

This win ends a 17 game South Mountain winning streak. The two teams split the season series with two wins apiece. Another play-off team, Arizona Western won four times against Central, three of the games by one run. I call that a split. 

"We have to find a way to win games likes this".

So it's South Mountain, Central Arizona College, Arizona Western, and Cochise in the post-season Region 1 play-offs. 

You just can't wait. 

The Central regular season ends with two home double-headers, Eastern Arizona during the week, and the yearly season finale against Cochise.

-Blade

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