Matador baseball stays hot

AWC sweeps Eastern Arizona in Thatcher

The Arizona Western baseball team maintained its hold on second place in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference with a doubleheader sweep of Eastern Arizona in Thatcher on Saturday. The Matadors (39-13 overall, 23-9 ACCAC) won game one 4-1 and game two 10-7 to extend their current winning streak to seven games.

In the seven-inning game one, Manny Perez pitched five innings to earn the victory, allowing one run on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Spencer Packard (2-for-2, 2 RBIs) and Justin Greene (2-for-3, RBI) led the way offensively.

AWC pounded out 16 hits in the second game, which it trailed 5-4 before scoring four runs in the top of the sixth to take an 8-5 lead. Zach Huffins (3-for-5), Packard (2-for-5, 3 RBIs), Perez (2-for-5, 3 RBIs) and Ramon Miranda (2-for-5, HR) all had multiple hits.

AWC, which cannot catch

first-place South Mountain (41-10-1, 28-3-1) atop the conference standings, has two doubleheaders remaining in the regular season: Tuesday vs. Yavapai and Saturday at South Mountain.

JUCO SOFTBALL Lady Mats split with GateWay

The Arizona Western softball team settled for a split Saturday against GateWay in Phoenix.

The Matadors won game one 7-0 but lost game two 9-7.

In the first game, Koryne Coddington tossed a threehit shutout with eight strikeouts. Offensively, Allison Betty had three hits and was a triple short of the cycle, Jessica Alvarez had two doubles and a triple, Danielle Burgos went 2-for4 and Isabel Sanchez homered.

In the second game, the Matadors gave up five runs in the bottom of the fifth to fall into a 9-4 hole that they weren’t able to climb out of. Aylin Campa (3-for3), Betty (2-for-3, 2 RBIs), Burgos (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) and Alvarez (2-for-4, RBI) were the team’s top offensive performers.

AWC (40-17 overall, 34-12 ACCAC) is in fourth place in the conference with only one doubleheader remaining (Saturday vs. Eastern Arizona).

GateWay (8-36) is tied for second-to-last in the conference standings.

PREP TENNIS Locals eliminated at state

All four local players still alive on day two of the AIA tennis singles/doubles state tournaments were eliminated Saturday in the Phoenix area.

In Division I boys singles, Cibola’s Tawanda Zvavamwe lost 6-0, 6-0 to No. 4 Jack Woodrow of Brophy Prep.

In Division I girls singles, Cibola’s Amulya Doniparthi lost 6-0, 6-1 to No. 1 Liza Isayev of Horizon.

In Division II girls doubles, Gila Ridge’s Jessica Roth/Katie Gronbach lost 6-0, 6-0 to No. 4 Halle Zadro/ Annabelle Mulick of Catalina Foothills.