DOUGLAS, Ariz. -  The Arizona Western Matadors Baseball team (15-3, 1-2 ACCAC) split an ACCAC conference doubleheader with rival Cochise College on Saturday afternoon, dropping game one 10-1 before responding with a thrilling 12-11 win in game two.

GAME 1

The opener saw the Matadors fall behind early after Cochise broke out for six runs in the second inning, seizing momentum in front of their home crowd. Arizona Western struggled to generate offense against a dominant outing by Cochise starter C. Smith, who allowed just one run over seven innings. The lone run for the Matadors came in the fifth when Luis Angulo scored on an RBI single by Elian Olmos, briefly cutting into the deficit.

Cochise responded swiftly, adding a run in the bottom of the fifth before stretching the lead to 10-1 with three more runs in the sixth. The Matadors were limited to four hits, including a double from Gerardo Castro, and could not overcome seven walks issued by their pitching staff. The defeat extended Arizona Western's losing streak to two, both at the hands of their conference rival.

GAME 2

In the second game, Arizona Western delivered a statement in a high-scoring battle that featured multiple lead changes. After trailing 5-1 following a five-run fourth inning from Cochise, the Matadors responded with three runs in the fifth and a game-changing five-run outburst in the sixth, powered in part by a home run from Elias Huber.

Ten Shindo sparked the offense with three runs scored, two RBIs, a hit and a stolen base, while Jamie Beerman tallied three hits, including a triple, and scored twice. Gerardo Castro drove in three runs as Arizona Western racked up 15 hits and 12 runs. The Matadors surged ahead with a three-run seventh inning to take a 12-10 lead, then held on after Cochise trimmed the deficit to one in the eighth. The win snapped the short losing streak and earned a crucial split in the standings.

Up Next 

The Matadors continue conference play when they welcome Eastern Arizona to Walt Kammann Field starting Friday, March 6th, first pitch of the matinee doubleheader is scheduled for noon, MST.