-Blade-Contributing Beat Writer-Central Arizona College Baseball

(Signal Peak) - You can't mess around with Arizona Western. You're gonna need it all.

Central Arizona College cut a four game Western conference lead in half by taking two Saturday afternoon where every move counts.

Game one starter Tyler Woessner had a solid "Wose" start, giving up two runs on a two-run single in the top of the third inning while striking out his last batter on his 100th pitch, for a total of nine in the meantime.

After a complete six innings for Woessner, reliever Matt Wilkinson pitched a spotless two innings going into extras, and Central got a one-out single from Kiko Romero in the bottom of the eighth to walk off game one. The first games of these doubleheaders are seven innings.

Two K's for Tug in two perfect innings while throwing only two pitches that weren't strikes.

What a great baseball game.

During a twenty minute conclave with coaches and umpires alike in the bottom of the fourth about a Jaylin Rae pop-up that was lost in the sun at third, Kiko Romero hit one over the right field fence, over the junked golf carts and that dumpster, into a plume of desert dirt.

At contact,you can always tell how far a ball is hit by when the outfielder gives up.

Right fielder Reese Longstaff took possibly three steps to his left before putting his head down.

This tied the game at two.

Apparently Rae's bat hit the catcher, then the umpire with the follow-through on the fly to third that was lost in the sun, so there was a medical discussion about the umpire's arm, then a discussion between everyone on whether the batter was out for interference.

???

As the swing was settled finally as no interference and just a plain ol' baseball play, with Rae at first, Romero made his deposit.

In the bottom of the eighth, Central got a terrific at-bat ending in a walk to start the inning from Trey Newman, Ryan Ball went outside and lined a single to center, Rae flied out to right, and with that one out, Romero went out and hit seemingly the exact pitch Ball got into center as well and scored pinch runner Dusty Garcia to win the game.

Ryan Ball single to center                            Kiko Romero game-winner to center after Ball's

In game two the Matadors took an early 4-0 lead and in the bottom of the third, it was Romero ripping another one out for a two-run homer to make it 4-2.

"That guy was locked into every pitch today" said the head coach Anthony Gilich.

"He was taking tough pitches and hitting the other ones hard. He has a very very high baseball overall IQ."

Romero was five for seven with six ribs, two homeruns and a double on the day.

Down 4-2, Central started the bottom of the fourth with Tyler Griggs being hit by a pitch, Chase Valentine got an infield single on a remarkable stabbing play by the shortstop on a hard-hit ball, and with men on first and second after a strikeout, Devon Dixon walked.

With bases full in a great at-bat with foul-offs and takes etc, Ball singled between first and second scoring two runs to tie the game.

Rae then did a Rae and placed one into right field over first base scoring a run, and Romero then doubled for the fourth run of the inning making in 6-4.

Drew Sommers replaced starter Tyson Heaton and after a rocky fifth, struck out nine batters in 4.1 innings.

Relievers on fire today.

The game two final was 9-5.