Herd and Cummings hit grand slams as Baseball bounces back to split with Scottsdale CC

The Pima Community College baseball team (30-10, 16-8 in ACCAC) secured its fifth straight 30-win season (excluding 2020 covid season) on Saturday as it hosted Scottsdale Community College (18-19, 9-15) at the West Campus Aztec Field.
The Aztecs dropped the first game but bounced back with a run-rule victory. Sophomore Caleb Herd (Cienega HS) finished the day 4 or 6 with five RBIs and four runs scored. Fellow sophomore Brant Kragel was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

• Game 1: Scottsdale CC Artichokes 8, (13) Pima CC Aztecs 6: The Aztecs took the lead after two innings, but the Artichokes rallied off seven straight runs to hand Pima just their third loss at Aztec Field this season (19-3).
  The Aztecs broke open a 1-1 tie with three runs in the 2^nd inning. Herd hit an RBI single to give Pima the lead. Kragel drew a bases loaded walk and sophomore Elijah Reeves (Marana HS) scored on a wild pitch as the Aztecs led 4-1.
  The Artichokes scored four runs in the 4^th inning and three runs in the 6^th to take an 8-4 advantage. Sophomore David Shackelford hit a sacrifice-fly RBI in the 6^th and sophomore Ruben Castro (Tucson Magnet HS) scored on a wild pitch in the 7^th, but the rally fell short.
  Herd finished 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run while Kragel was 1 for 3 with two RBIs. Reeves went 1 for 2 with three runs scored.
  Freshman Maclain Roberts took the loss as he pitched three and two-third innings, giving up five runs (five earned) on six hits with one strikeout and three walks.

SCC   0 1 0 4 0 3 0   8   9   2
PCC   1 3 0 0 0 1 1   6   7   3

L – Roberts (4-2). 2B: Hennesy. SB: Avila, Kragel, Shackelford, Hennesy.

• Game 2: (13) Pima CC Aztecs 15, Scottsdale CC Artichokes 5 (7 innings): The Pima offense wasted no time as they took the lead early and used a five-run 6^th inning to help secure the run-rule win.
  Freshman Collin Senior (Horizon HS) put Pima ahead in the 1^st inning with a bases-clearing three-run RBI double scoring Reeves, sophomore Nick Arias (Tucson Magnet HS) and Kragel.
  The Aztecs scored six runs in the 3^rd inning. Kragel, Senior and sophomore Jontae Hennesy (Horizon HS) loaded the bases with no outs to set up freshman Chase Cummings' grand slam to make it 7-0. Arias hit an RBI double later inning and Shackelford had an RBI groundout to make it 9-0.
  The Artichokes cut into Pima's lead with four runs in the top of the 6^th, but the Aztecs countered with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Senior led off with a triple and was driven in by Hennesy's RBI single in the next at-bat. The next two batters reached base to load them up and Herd came through with a grand slam scoring Hennesy, Cummings and sophomore Austin Madsen (Canyon del Oro HS).
  Herd finished the game 2 for 3 with four RBIs and three runs scored while Cummings went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs. Senior was 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs and Arias closed it out going 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run. Kragel, Hennesy and Madsen each scored two runs.
  Sophomore J.T. Drake picked up the win as he pitched five and two-third innings, giving up five runs (one earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

SCC   0 0 0 0 1 4 0    5     7    3
PCC   3 0 6 0 1 5 x   15   15   1

W – Drake (6-2). 2B: Avila, Senior, Arias. 3B: Senior. GS: Cummings, Herd.

The Aztecs will be back on the road on Tuesday when they play at Phoenix College in an ACCAC doubleheader. First game starts at noon.