Scottsdale Community College (SCC) played its final regular-season home game against the Pima Community College (PCC) Aztecs Saturday afternoon.

SCC (28-22, 20-16 ACCAC) is coming off a 7-5 win at Mesa Community College, and is currently second in the ACCAC DII standings.

PCC (25-24, 17-19 ACCAC) is fifth in the division, but only a game behind Chandler-Gilbert Community College (17-18 ACCAC) in division record.

For both teams, the game had implications for the ACCAC DII playoffs.

PCC was fighting to make its spot, while SCC needed to keep second place.

It was a quiet start to the game offensively; both teams were without a hit through the first two innings.

In the top of the third inning, PCC scored first through a wild sequence of events.

After Ramon Martinez grounded to SCC’s starting pitcher, Jackson Roybal, with one out, a goose chase began between the runner on third and home; the runner won as he slid into home for the first run of the game.

With the Aztecs up 1-0, the Artichokes looked to answer, getting their top of the lineup hitters, Carson Feddema and Dylan Frank, on base for Luke Calendo with two outs.

PCC’s starter, Hayden Green, escaped the inning after Calendo grounded out to the shortstop, stranding both runners for SCC.

In the top of the fifth, Roybal was in the exact situation as in the third inning, a runner on third, one out, and Martinez was at the plate.

This time, Martinez laid the bunt, and Roybal made a stunning play, sliding to stop the ball and throwing out the runner at home.

Both Roybal and Green were doing a great job on the mound for their teams, with only one run being allowed by Roybal in the third.

The Artichokes were able to start a sixth inning rally with a leadoff walk by Calendo, and an opposite field base hit by Braiden Reynolds.

The rally was cut short, as the Aztec reliever, Quintin Hennesy, struck out the next batter and forced a double play.

The game was still 1-0 Aztecs; the Artichokes had come up short in multiple innings, stranding six runners on base.

Roybal worked through PCC’s lineup one last time in the seventh inning, retiring the side. Watch the Northeast Valley News interview with SCC pitcher  Jackson Roybal.

He finished with seven innings of work—only allowing one hit.

SCC then turned to Andrew Filimoehala in relief for the eighth inning, who needed only four pitches to retire the side. The Artichoke dugout still knew they had a chance.

At the bottom of the eighth inning, excitement and cheers broke out for SCC.

SCC’s Dylan Frank tied the game with a blast deep to left field.

Hennesy began to struggle, as the Artichokes recorded back-to-back hits with Calendo grounding through the gap between first and second base.

After a walk by Reynolds, there were two runners on with one, and a much-needed mound visit for Hennesy.

The next batter was Ryder Florence, who delivered the go-ahead RBI single.

Everything seemed to be going SCC’s way now.

The top of the ninth was the last call for the Aztecs, so the Artichokes turned to Braden Burness to close the ninth.

Burness retired the first two batters, but the next at bat was not the same.

PCC’s Cooper Kruk flew to deep left field, a towering ball, and fans in the stands all held their breath.

In left field for the Artichokes was Logan Spetz, who stopped at the wall, leaped, and made the catch—robbing what could’ve been the game-tying homerun.

SCC’s dugout rushed the field as they took their regular-season home finale 2-1 in unreal fashion.

The team is now 29-22 overall, and 21-16 in their division.

With playoffs essentially clinched, the remaining three games of the season will have seeding implications.