YUMA, Ariz. -- The No. 15 Arizona Western Baseball team (28-7, 10-6 ACCAC) suffered a tough 4-3 loss to No. 14 Cochise College on Friday afternoon at Walt Kammann Field watching an early lead slip away in the late innings of a pivotal conference matchup.

Arizona Western jumped out quickly, scoring once in the first and adding two more runs in the second to open a 3-0 advantage. The top of the lineup set the tone early, with Parker Husu sparking the offense and Ten Shindo driving in a pair with a double. Gerardo Castro reached base twice in the opening frames, helping the Matadors build early momentum.

Cochise responded with a run in the fourth inning but Thijs Helms held the Apaches in check through six strong innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits while striking out seven. Despite generating eight hits and drawing four walks, Arizona Western stranded 10 runners on base, missing key chances to extend the lead as the game wore on.

The Matadors' three-run cushion proved tenuous as the bullpen faltered late. Gregorys Mateo entered in relief, but the Apaches chipped away with a run in the seventh before breaking through for two runs in the ninth to grab a 4-3 lead. Arizona Western was unable to answer in the bottom half, snapping a four-game conference win streak. The Matadors are now 16-1 when allowing four or fewer runs and 3-1 in one-run contests.

Up Next

Arizona Western will look to regroup for a doubleheader against Cochise College on Saturday, April 4, with first pitch scheduled for Noon and game two to follow at 2:30 p.m.