Pima Baseball Battles Hard but Falls Just Short for Region I Runner-Up Title at South Mountain

The Pima Community College baseball team, boasting a record of 47-13, faced South Mountain Community College in Game Two of the Region I, Division II Finals on Friday. The matchup concluded with the No. 2 seed Aztecs falling to the top-seeded Cougars, 11-6, earning Pima the Runner-Up trophy in the region. This week began with a challenging Game One, where the Aztecs lost 9-1 in just seven innings.

In Friday’s game, the Cougars jumped to an early 5-0 lead, scoring three runs in the first inning and adding two more in the third. The Aztecs finally broke the silence in the fourth inning when sophomore Nolan Ganter was hit by a pitch, quickly followed by freshman Jackson Glueck’s two-run homer to right field.

Pima capitalized on early errors by South Mountain in the fifth inning. Freshman Ramon Martinez and Ganter reached base due to errors, with sophomore Caden Richards loading the bases after drawing a walk. Glueck then delivered an RBI single, bringing in both Martinez and Richards. A sacrifice fly from sophomore Collin Senior tied the game at 5-5 as Ganter crossed home.

However, the Cougars regained their lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring two additional runs to go up 7-5. In the seventh inning, Richards started with a single but was soon out at second base. Ganter managed to score after Senior reached on another error, though the Aztecs faced challenges, leaving two runners stranded in each of the final three innings, totaling 11 left on base throughout the game.

In individual performances, Glueck recorded an impressive game with 2 hits, 4 RBIs, and a run scored. Senior contributed a hit and an RBI, while Richards had a hit and a run scored. Ganter stood out with three runs, and freshman Sean Barta also made his mark by finishing 1 for 3 with two walks.

Freshman Sal Valenzuela took the loss for the Aztecs in relief, pitching two innings and allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out three and walking two.

Following this tough matchup, the Aztecs are now awaiting the NJCAA Division II World Series selection show to discover if they will secure an at-large bid.