YUMA, Ariz. -- The No. 21 Arizona Western Matadors Baseball team (38-13, 18-12) split a home doubleheader with Central Arizona College (35-21, 16-14) on Friday, falling 3-1 in the opener before bouncing back with a dominant 9-1 victory at Walt Kammann Baseball Field. 

Game 1 saw Arizona Western struggle offensively, managing just two hits while leaving 10 runners on base. The Matadors did show impressive plate discipline with seven walks and two hit-by-pitches, but timely hitting proved elusive. Central Arizona opened the scoring in the first before the Matadors responded immediately, with Ten Shindo coming around to score on a Victor Lopez RBI to tie the game at 1-1. 

Despite constant traffic on the bases, Arizona Western could not capitalize, stranding runners in nearly every frame. The Matador pitching staff, led by Mattia Bernardis with five innings and no walks allowed, kept the game within reach. Filippo Baldassarri provided two innings of solid relief, also issuing no free passes. However, Central Arizona pushed across single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to secure the 3-1 win. 

On the offensive side, Gerardo Castro stood out by reaching base in all three plate appearances (three walks) and swiping a base. Brayden Hibler collected one of the Matadors' two hits. The Matadors' pitchers combined for four strikeouts and did not issue a walk in the contest, a rare feat that highlighted their control. 

"We left a lot of things out there and that's the frustrating part," Matadors head coach Jon Wente said. "Because I know we're a better offensive club, and we just didn't show it. You gotta give a little bit of credit to Central's pitching, their pitching staff and coach for making the right moves. "I think that we didn't show up that well in game one. It felt like we were trying too hard. Like, the pressure was grinding and we were taking strikes and swinging at balls, and it just hasn't really been our MO all year." 

Arizona Western flipped the script in Game 2 with an offensive explosion and relentless baserunning. The Matadors scored in five of seven innings, highlighted by a five-run fourth that turned a close game into a rout. Gerardo Castro delivered a game-high three RBIs, including a go-ahead double, while Parker Husu reached base four times, scored three runs and stole three bases. 

Trace Garrison, Luis Angulo and Dan Kawanishi each homered as part of a three-home-run effort, providing the Matadors with a power surge and a decisive cushion. The team combined for seven stolen bases without being caught, using speed and aggression to punish the Central Arizona defense. 

Pitching was equally impressive in Game 2. After Elias Huber opened with a one-inning start, the bullpen took over. Joris Meinsma earned his sixth win of the season with three scoreless frames, and Paul Garcia closed out the victory with two shutout innings. In total, the bullpen combined for six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out six.  

The doubleheader split showcased Arizona Western's resilience, responding to a difficult opener by executing a complete team effort in Game 2. It also marked the final game of the regular season and the final game the team's sophomores will play at Walt Kammann Field. Coach Wente reflected on the bittersweet end of the regular season with the sophomores he enherited in his first season.  

"They've won over 70 games and that's a lot for a college baseball team," Wente said. "It's hard to win at this level, at any level. I also told them at the end there that they meant more to me this year than any other year because I was kind of in a dark place and struggling with some stuff. Not to make it about me, it's definitely their day. They made me want to coach again and we held each other accountable. I'm proud of how we've acted. I'm proud of the way we've won some games, and just hopefully, we can find a way next week to keep moving on and I feel we're capable of doing it." 

Up Next 

Arizona Western clinched the #3 seed in next week's Region I playoffs. The Matadors will face #2 seed Cochise College to begin the double elimination tournament hosted by ACCAC regular season champion College of Southern Nevada.