Matadors push win streak to 16 games

YUMA, Ariz. – The Arizona Western College Matadors (39-5, 23-3) extended their winning streak to 16 games with a doubleheader sweep of GateWay (14-27, 9-17) winning game one 8-2 before taking game two, 13-3 at Gene Autry Park.

The Matadors scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back in game one, taking the opener over GateWay 8-2.

Max Weller got the scoring started in the first inning with an RBI single to give the Matadors a 1-0 lead which would grow to 4-0 thanks to a Dylan Edmands RBI triple, a wild pitch, and an Eric Rataczak RBI double to cap off the inning.

Edmands would finish the game 2-for-4 with a pair of runs batted in while Weller ended up 1-for3 with an RBI in the win.

Reece Longstaff drove in the Matadors’ fifth run of the game with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 5-0 in the second inning.

The Matadors scored two more runs in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly from Noah Marcelo and an RBI double off the bat of Edmands, extending the advantage to 7-0.

After the Geckos scored two in the bottom half of the fourth inning, the Matadors got one of those runs back in the fifth on a Ben Fierenzi sacrifice fly, making the score 8-2.

JC Navarro was a perfect 3-for-3 while Marcelo, Rataczak, Fierenzi, and Longstaff all drove in a run each in the win.

The Matadors’ offense stayed hot in game two, scoring 13 runs and putting together three straight multi-run innings to finish off the doubleheader sweep with a 13-3 win in game two.

After falling behind 1-0 in game two, Longstaff would tie the game at 1-1 in the third inning, smacking a single to score Garrett Rede. Samuel Fabian then put the Matadors in front, driving in a pair with a single to give the Mats a 3-1 lead. JC Navarro added to lead with a two-run single to make it 5-1.

Marcelo finished the second game with three hits, going 3-for-4 and driving in a pair while Fierenzi knocked in three runs, going 2-for-4.

The teams would trade single runs until the seventh inning when the Matadors started a streak of three consecutive tworun innings to close the game, highlighted by an Edmands two-run double in the eighth inning as the Matadors scored the final six runs of the game to win 13-3.

Six of the Matadors’ starting nine drove in two or more runs in the game.

The Matadors continue the road trip on Saturday, heading back to Phoenix for a doubleheader at South Mountain starting at noon.