Casey Dominates with 5-Inning Shutout as Cereceres Powers Pima to Sweep Over GateWay

The Pima Community College baseball team achieved a doubleheader sweep against GateWay Community College on Tuesday, improving to 28-8 overall and 14-8 in the ACCAC. The games were held in Mesa, where Pima faced a much-needed challenge against a struggling GateWay team, now at 7-20 and 3-19 in conference play.

Freshman Leon Cereceres had a standout performance, finishing the day 3 for 6 with three RBIs and scoring twice. Teammate Zach Plasschaert also contributed significantly, recording two hits, two RBIs, and drawing three walks over both games. Additionally, Ramon Martinez notched two RBIs and scored two runs, while Ray Jesse had one RBI and crossed home plate three times. On the mound, sophomore Lucas Casey executed a shutout in his winning effort, while Tsubasa Tomii secured a crucial victory in relief.

In Game 1, Pima triumphed over GateWay with a final score of 6-5. The Aztecs faced an uphill battle, trailing 4-0 before rallying back. With a two-run seventh inning, they completed the comeback, thanks in part to a strategic pinch-runner substitution. Key hits from Ganter, Hennesy, and Barta loaded the bases, allowing Martinez to hit into a groundout that scored Brian Brimmer, giving Pima the lead.

Tomii closed out the game effectively, striking out two and leaving a runner stranded on third base. Early in the game, respective RBI hits from Glueck and Cereceres, along with Jesse’s score on an error, helped Pima recover from their deficit. Glueck’s performance culminated in a 2-for-3 showing with an RBI and a run scored.

Game 2 featured the Aztecs dominating in a 10-0 victory that concluded in just five innings. Casey threw a stellar game, achieving eight strikeouts and allowing only four hits. Pima established an early lead with two runs in the second inning and followed it up with a powerful offensive display in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring four runs in each frame.

Caden Richards had an impressive outing, including a two-run single that extend the lead to 6-0. Cereceres continued his strong performance with a two-run triple, while Richards added another RBI single shortly after. Overall, Richards finished the game 2 for 4 with three RBIs, and Cereceres recorded two hits, two RBIs, and a run scored.

Having swept the doubleheader, Pima Community College’s baseball team will next face Scottsdale Community College in another ACCAC doubleheader scheduled for Saturday at noon.