Left fielder Hunter Jump hones in as shortstop Matt Aribal looks in.
Left fielder Hunter Jump hones in as shortstop Matt Aribal looks in.

Vaqueros strike for seven runs in 8th to close out Mesa and split home-away

Two very nice baseball games with Mesa Community College this week.

Tuesday afternoon at The Big House, it was Lucas Knowles (7-0) throwing a commanding six innings and leaving with a 5-2 lead. Mesa Community College threw their best and the Vaqueros were able to pin five runs on him and it was basically quiet until the bottom of the eighth inning.

Central Arizona put seven on the board and ended a run-rule 12-2 baseball game with a win.

Dakota Donovan closed out the final two innings striking out just one batter, but nobody got the ball out of the infield. Donovan got his five other outs with dribblers. 

Clayton Keyes doubled and singled twice, drove in three, scored twice, and stole a bag, and when he's on base all day, good luck. Ernny Ordonez and Hunter Jump had a couple of hits apiece, and catcher Nate Young cleared the bases with a double.

On Wednesday afternoon at their place...Avery Jones couldn't have pitched better, and this was possibly his best performance this year.  Jones left after six innings of one-hit baseball, facing only 19 batters. He walked nobody and struck out three, and at his exit, there was a score of 0-0. 

With RBI's from catcher Jake Meyer and third baseman Ordonez, Central held a 2-0 lead for a moment until the Thunderbirds tied the game with a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth.

Central did not score in the top of the ninth, but Mesa did score in the bottom, to win 3-2.

With a walk and a bunt down the third base line, it was runners on first and second, nobody out. A dribbler to pitcher DJ Carpenter moved both runners, as Carpenter got the important out. Central went to five infielders by bringing in the right fielder, but Mesa executed a perfect bunt that allowed a run to score from third and give Mesa the win.

There's a dogfight for the four coveted positions atop D-1 ACCAC with teams all within three games of current leader Cochise Communtiy College. 

STANDINGS

Central takes on Phoenix College for two on Saturday, and a rescheduled rain-out game on Monday.