Ed Petruska-Pinal Central

SIGNAL PEAK – The first victory came in walk-off fashion. The second was less dramatic but just as satisfying.

The third-ranked Central Arizona College baseball team defeated Paradise Valley 2-1 and 6-2 on Tuesday at McSwain Field, extending their consecutive game winning streak to 22. The Vaqueros are 33-5 overall and 20-2 in Arizona Community College Athletic Conference play.

"I didn't feel like we played very well, but the positive is we found a way to win," CAC Anthony Giilich said. "Our pitching has been great, but we haven't been able to string hits together to get those big innings."

The bottom line: "We have to keep it going," Gilich said.

Lou Albrecht's RBI single through a drawn-in infield allowed the Vaqueros to escape with the victory in the opener. The hit came after Central loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

Blake Avila reached third with his second triple of game, a soaring drive down the right-field line that landed just in front of the foul pole. Paradise Valley starter Liam O'Brien then hit Jonathon Hernandez and intentionally walked Mario Bejarano.

That left it up to Albrecht, and he delivered against the right-hander with a bouncing base hit to left.

Central tallied its first run in the third inning, tying it 1-1 on Avila's RBI triple to right-center. Scoring was Tyrese Johnson, who drew a one-out walk.

The Pumas (19-18, 9-13 ACCAC) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Jack Varney following singles by Dayton Francis and Matt Graf.

CAC starter Theo Millas (7-1, 1.53 ERA) allowed only two other hits in going the distance for the first time this season – singles by Cole Williams with two outs in the third and Varney with one out in the fifth.

"He was kind of on cruise control," Gilich said of Millas. "He was confident and did a great job."

Millas struck out three and walked none. The right-hander picked off courtesy runner Drew Kaatz after Williams' hit. The Paradise Valley sixth ended with first baseman Braydon Rogers making an unassisted double play on Carson Craig's liner.

Shortstop Luke Thiele made two sparkling defensive plays for outs on grounders in the second and seventh innings.

Avila went 3 for 4 as the Vaqueros finished with eight hits. Albrecht and Fisher Pyatt each had two hits.

Central stranded 10 baserunners, six in scoring position.

O'Brien struck out six, walked four and hit two.

The Vaqueros overcame a 2-0 deficit in the nine-inning second game, scoring three in the fourth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth.

Tommy Brandenburg (4-2) pitched the first six innings, giving up two runs and five hits. He struck out 10 and walked none.

Ryan Schiefer worked a scoreless seventh. Bejarano got one out in the eighth before giving way to Daniel Davila, who went the final 1 2/3 innings to notch the save.

The Vaqueros took the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Pyatt drew a bases-loaded walk, Hernandez scored on a double-play grounder and Bejarano came home on a wild pitch.

Hernandez had a bases-loaded single with two outs in the seventh to drive in two runs. Pyatt doubled in the eighth and eventually scored on an error.

CAC was limited to five hits in Game 2.

Paradise Valley scored one run in the second inning and one in the fourth. Graf homered and doubled for the Pumas. Chaz Clemons also had two hits, one which was an RBI single.

Central is 13-1 at home this season. The Pumas have lost six straight.