Matadors roll past Phoenix College 9-1 behind Pierre, Huber and dominant pitching
Arizona Western improves to 25-6 fueled by big days from Matteo Pierre and Elias Huber, plus a strong outing from Joris Meinsma.
YUMA, Ariz. - The No. 19 Arizona Western Baseball team (25-6, 7-5 ACCAC) dominated Phoenix College 9-1 on Tuesday afternoon at Walt Kammann Field, extending their non-conference record to 18-1 and moving to 13-3 at home.
Joris Meinsma set the tone on the mound by tossing four shutout innings and improving to 4-0 on the season. He allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out two. Arizona Western jumped ahead early, cashing in on a balanced attack and aggressive baserunning to take control by the middle innings.
Offensively, the Matadors struck for 10 hits and drew seven walks, with eight of the nine starters reaching base. Matteo Pierre provided a perfect afternoon at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. Elias Huber reached base in all four plate appearances, finishing 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, two walks and a game-high three runs scored. Ten Shindo and Gerardo Castro each delivered doubles, with Shindo driving in two runs and Castro posting an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base.
The Matadors showcased their aggressive style on the bases as Luis Acosta, Pierre and Castro each swiped a bag. Acosta also chipped in an RBI single and scored a run. Parker Husu was on base three times with a hit, two walks and an RBI from the leadoff spot, while Dan Kawanishi reached twice and scored.
Arizona Western's pitching staff was sharp throughout, combining to allow just one run on six hits. After Meinsma's strong start, Paul Garcia and Sawyer Morgan kept Phoenix College off the board in the fifth and sixth innings. Filip Kollmann was touched for a run in the seventh before Anthomy Lucero closed out the victory with two outs and a strikeout.
Tuesday's win marked Arizona Western's 20th victory in games where they score nine or more runs, according to the team schedule. The Matadors have won two straight and are 7-3 over their last 10 contests.
Up Next
Arizona Western returns to ACCAC play on Friday, March 27, opening a three-game road series at Central Arizona College in Coolidge, Ariz. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.