As the baseball season advances deeper into spring, the heat has intensified with an unseasonably warm Wednesday afternoon matchup between the Scottsdale Community College (SCC) Artichokes and the Chandler Gilbert Community College (CGCC) Coyotes.
The Artichokes took game one of the series at CGCC, 7-4.
SCC and CGCC are both hovering around .500 on the season with SCC at 10-11 and CGCC at 11-10.
It was not an easy day for either starting pitcher.
The umpire kept a smaller zone making it difficult for both pitchers to get their outs.
“Tight zone, but we’ve seen it before all year, guys are inconsistent, but we can’t let it bother us, we still just gotta make our pitches,” said SCC pitching coach, Jack Slominski.
Artichoke starter, righty Dalton Hanson, only went three innings.
For the Coyotes, righty Tanner Leyba threw 2.2 innings.
SCC put together five runs in the bottom of the second.
A compilation of walks, infield errors, and wild pitches allowed the Artichokes to fill the bases.
Then the top of the lineup drove runners in.
SCC third baseman, Braiden Reynolds, put the final touches on the second inning surge with a two-run single to make it 6-2.
The Coyotes quickly answered with their own five run inning in the top of the third.
CGCC’s Alex Mezzetti closed the SCC lead to 6-5 with a single over the shortstop.
The next batter, Garrett Geenen, hit a deep fly ball to center, barely escaping the leather of center fielder Carson Feddema, a game-tying triple.
The Coyotes did not stop there, CGCC’s Blake Gregory drove in the go-ahead run to reclaim the lead at 7-6.
Hanson’s rough third inning finally ended after CGCC’s Jackson Asaro grounded out.
“I don’t think Dalton would say he had his best stuff, but guys gotta pick each other up.” Slominski said.
After Hanson exited in the third, right-hander Tyler Swan did exactly that.
A collective effort from both Swan, and the Artichoke offense propelled them in the third and fourth inning.
Swan pitched two scoreless innings along with three strikeouts and told Northeast Valley News about his mindset coming out of the bullpen.
“Just go out there and throw strikes, put up a zero, and let my offense do the work.”
While Swan kept the Coyote offense stagnant, the Artichoke offense erupted.
SCC amassed 11 unanswered runs after going down 7-6.
Feddema brought in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the third with a single up the middle.
Reynolds picked up two more RBIs with another single to make it 10-7.
“Give credit to the guys in front of me to give me the RBIs.” Reynolds told Northeast Valley News regarding his approach at the plate, “I’m just trying to see the ball up and get something in the air, get the runners moving.”
The rest of the team followed suit driving in run after run.
The game was 16-7 entering the bottom of the fifth.
Artichoke shortstop, Braedan Reichert, leadoff the fifth with a blooper to the soft spot of the outfield.
The next batter, Cas Herold, laid down the bunt, trying to move Reichert over to second.
Herold’s bunt did more than just move Reichert over to second—it won the game.
As Herold sprinted to first, CGCC pitcher, Ryan Beleek, overthrew first base.
The ball was deep into the right field corner, and Reichert ran the rest of the way.
Making it from first base to home—off a bunt.
The game was over after five innings, in a 17-7 Artichoke victory.
“Feels good, especially with how our team was playing today, and feels good to come back after my last outing.” Swan said in summary of the Artichoke win.
SCC is now 11-11 overall and 6-6 in the conference.
Artichokes face a double-header, Saturday, against Phoenix College.
