Arizona Western routs CAC in playoff series opener
Staff Reports May 3, 2018 Pinal Central

YUMA — With a pair of solo home runs in the top of the first inning, the day could not have started much better for the Central Arizona College baseball team in the opener of its Division I Region 1 tournament semifinal series against Arizona Western.

There weren't many other highlights, however, as the Matadors racked up 21 hits in a 15-5 victory. The game ended with two outs in the seventh inning under the 10-run rule when Zach Huffins drew a bases-loaded walk to cap a five-run rally.

Second-seeded Western (44-13) also scored five runs in the fifth after going ahead to stay with a three-run third. The Matadors put up single runs in the second and sixth.

"We just got hit, that's about it," CAC coach Anthony Gilich said. "It doesn't change anything. We have to beat them twice and they have to beat us twice. At this point, I'm hoping we can force Game 3."

Third-seeded Central (45-12) was limited to six hits by AWC pitchers Irving Martin and Ramon Miranda. The Vaqueros scored one run in the third to take a 3-1 lead and two runs in the seventh.

The best-of-three series continues with a 2 p.m. game on Friday. Game 3, if necessary, is at noon on Saturday.

Western scored nine runs (six earned) in 4 1/3 innings off CAC ace Nick Trogrlic-Iverson (8-3), who allowed 13 hits. Yodelvy Merendez went 3 for 5 with five RBIs, and the Matadors also got three hits apiece from Sean Roby, Justin Greene, Carlos Arellano and Snaider Torrealba.

Liam Spence homered on the fourth pitch of the game from Martin, who went six-plus innings. Alix Garcia's two-out home run made it 2-0.

Brennan Reback scored on a wild pitch in the Central third after being hit by a pitch and advancing on Spence's sacrifice and a flyout by Brett Harris.

Ernny Ordonez, who went 2 for 3, led off the CAC seventh with a double. Following a pinch single by Josh Dudden, both runners came around on Nick Cheema's double.

Miranda replaced Martin following a walk to pinch hitter Armando Aguilar and retired the next three batters.

Greene hit a solo home run with one out in the AWC second. Merendez tied it with a two-out, two-run single in the third and the Matadors took the lead on Daylan Nanny's RBI single. All of the third-inning runs were unearned.

Western's big fifth inning featured Merendez's two-run double and RBI singles by Nanny, Torrealba and Roby. The last two hits came off reliever Matt Dalke.

Arellano had a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

All of AWC's seventh-inning runs scored with two outs. Dalke gave up Greene's RBI single and a run-scoring double by Merendez. Luis Tellechea replaced Dalke and allowed Arellano's RBI single before hitting Torrealba and walking Huffins on a 3-2 pitch.

AWC's 15 runs were a season high for a Central opponent. The only other time the Vaqueros gave up more than 10 runs was in a 12-4 loss to Paradise Valley on March 27.