YUMA, Ariz. -- The No. 15 Arizona Western Matadors Baseball team (29-8, 11-7 ACCAC) split a crucial ACCAC doubleheader against No. 14 Cochise College on Saturday afternoon at Walt Kammann Field. winning Game 1 by a 4-1 margin before falling 8-2 in the second game. 

In the opener, pitching stole the spotlight as Diego Alcala turned in a standout performance for the Matadors. Both teams were held scoreless through three innings until Arizona Western broke through with a four-run fourth, sending all nine batters to the plate. Gerardo Castro delivered the decisive blow with a home run, driving in two runs and igniting the Matadors' dugout. The inning marked the only scoring frame for Arizona Western, but it was enough to take control of the rivalry battle.

Luis Angulo led the offensive charge, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, while Ten Shindo crossed the plate as part of the pivotal fourth. The Matadors did not commit an error and recorded nine hits as a team—continuing a trend of clean defense in tight conference games.

Diego Alcala earned his sixth win of the season, striking out eight over five and two-thirds innings while surrendering just two hits and one run. Filippo Baldassarri closed the door with 1.2 scoreless innings, notching his second save. Arizona Western improved to 11-0 when holding opponents to one run or fewer, and 8-1 in the first game of doubleheaders this season, according to the team's records.

In the second game, Arizona Western grabbed an early lead on an RBI from Elian Olmos in the second inning and a run scored by Luis Angulo. The game swung in Cochise's favor in the bottom of the third as the Apaches rallied for two runs and seized momentum. Despite a double and two-hit day from Dan Kawanishi, the Matadors struggled to cash in on opportunities, stranding 11 runners on base over nine innings.

Cochise opened up the game late, scoring six runs between the sixth and eighth innings, powered by a three-run homer from the Apaches' middle of the order. Mattia Bernardis started for Arizona Western and allowed two runs on three hits with four strikeouts over five innings before the bullpen entered. The Matadors remained error-free in the field, but offensive execution lagged as Cochise pitching held the lineup to five hits.

Up Next

Arizona Western heads to Thatcher, Ariz., for a three-game ACCAC series against Eastern Arizona College beginning Friday, April 10, with first pitch set for noon.