Matadors baseball sweeps DH
Powerful pitching performances saved the bullpen for a key stretch as the Arizona Western Matadors (16-6 overall, 8-4 ACCAC) swept a double-header from the Yavapai RoughRiders (12-9 overall, 7-5 ACCAC) Wednesday afternoon at Kammann Field.
Elvis Parra kept the RoughRiders off-balance, save a late solo homer, striking out seven in a complete game 7-1 victory in the seven inning game.
Luuk ter Beek also kept Yavapai in check for 5.1
innings before the trio of Jonathan Zayas, D.J. Contreras and Francisco Gonzalez held off the late surge and picked up the sweep with a 5-4 win.
Most of the early offense for Arizona Western was done without a hit, as Jarrod Belbin walked and stole second and third before scoring on a balk to give the Matadors an early lead, without a hit.
Delano Selassa broke through on the hit column as he belted a solo homer in the third to double the lead. The AWC offense finally widened the margin for error, capitalizing on four Yavapai errors in the fifth, including three that scored Daniel Gonzalez.
J.C. Navvaro’s RBI single completed the frame.
C.J. Valdez delivered a solo homer for Yavapai to lead off the seventh but that was the only blemish on Parra’s day. The righty scattered six hits over his seven innings of work but often recovered quickly to prevent any prolonged rallies from Yavapai.
In game two, ter Beek sat down the first seven RoughRiders he faced, allowing the Matador offense plenty of time to get started.
The Matadors generated their first run without the benefit of a hit for the second consecutive game as Oliver Frias reached second on a dropped fly ball. Frias moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch to give AWC a 1-0 lead after two.
The Matadors tacked on more hitless offense behind Belbin. He drew another walk and stole second and third, giving him four stolen
bases on the day, before Navarro finally came through with an RBI single, the first hit of the inning despite being the sixth hitter. Max Weller scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.
Arizona Western still left alot of runs on the table, including a bases-loaded fourth that started with no outs.
The fourth inning was the end of Yavapai starter
Matt Bachelier and seemed to bring the RoughRiders dugout to life despite the 3-0 Matador lead.
Yavapai chipped for a run in the fifth and a run in the sixth to chase ter Beek, but Jonathan Zaya got a strikeout to end the frame.
Zayas got the first two outs of the seventh before picking off Amari Bartee, after a single, to end the inning.
The Matadors tacked on
a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh as Weller and Frias to start the inning against reliever Tyler Davis. Navarro delivered another RBI single and Wesley Estrella added a single to left to plate Frias.
That would come in handy as Noah Turley’s two-run double made it a one run game again.
Francisco Gonzalez came on in the ninth and allowed a lead-off single to Danny Martin. Frias made an exceptional pick up and throw on Lance Kelly’s sacrifice bunt attempt, nabbing Martin at second. After Kenneth Jimenez grounded out to Benito Garcia at short, Kelly stole third to put the tying run 90-feet away.
Gonzalez struck out Alton Gryselman to close the game and complete the sweep.
It was the third win of the season for ter Beek, while Gonzalez registered his first save on the season.
Navarro completed a three-RBI day to pace the Matador offense with Belbin extending his conference leading total in stolen bases to 19.
Arizona Western will hit the road on Saturday to take on Glendale for a double-header beginning at noon. The Matadors will return home on Tuesday
to begin a six game homestand, starting with Cochise.
AWC Volleyball
Six different players registered at least four kills as the Arizona Western Lady Matadors (7-8 overall, 5-2 ACCAC) picked up their third sweep in less than a week taking a road contest in straight sets from the Eastern Arizona Gila Monsters (0-11 overall, 0-6 ACCAC) at Gitteau Gymnasium Wednesday night.
The Matadors came out scorching with 15 kills in the first set while hitting over .500% to pull away to a 25-19 set one victory. They tallied 15 kills in set two while hitting above .300% and finished off set three 25-15.
Anny Montaño continued her hot streak with 12 kills and a pair of aces as the Matadors pulled away over the course of the three sets.
Connie Silva and Pamela Durazo balanced her from the middle with six kills a piece while the Matador offense supported them with Naomy Vergez, Patrycja Rykala and Daniela Jimenez Paz each adding four.
Jerica Vele and Montaño each had a pair of aces but the service as whole continues to keep the pressure on the Matador opponents.