GLENDALE, Ariz. – It was the day of big innings for the Yavapai College baseball team as the Roughriders put up a couple of crooked-number innings with their sweep of the Glendale Community College Gauchos Saturday afternoon. 

"I was pleased that our team found multiple ways to win," Head Coach Ryan Cougill said. "We had a couple of good outings by starting pitching and we had a couple of wins where we needed some timely hitting. We have a lot to improve on but it was nice to beat a good and tough Glendale team."

With Yavapai's 12-7 and 6-1 victories on the day, the Roughriders now move to 3-0-1 overall on the season after a victory and tie over the Gauchos on Friday. 

Game One
The first game between the Roughriders and Gauchos featured a furious finish that wound up going to extra innings.

The Gauchos struck first with a three-spot in the bottom of the first and after Yavapai failed to score in the first four frames, the Roughriders stood just nine outs from a loss. 

Instead, the Riders rallied and took the lead in the top of the fifth. Freshman infielder Alex Ulloa doubled to start the inning and was followed by a walk from sophomore infielder JT Taylor. Sophomore infielder Kade York was then hit by a pitch after a sacrifice bunt to load the bases. 

With the bases loaded, freshman utility man Ben Zeigler singled to right field to bring home two runs and cut the lead to 3-2. Two batters later, freshman infielder Rocco Gump singled to center to bring two more runs home and give Yavapai a 4-3 lead. 

The Roughriders were able to hold the Gauchos scoreless in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings, however, Glendale tied the game up at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-loaded single. Sophomore outfielder Brycen Tambone kept the game tied by throwing out the would-be go-ahead run on the game-tying single. 

In their first extra-inning frame in the top of the eighth, the Roughriders took the lead and then some, tallying eight runs for a commanding lead. 

Gump singled with one out to start the action and came around to score on an RBI single from sophomore infielder Travis Warinner. After a walk and an error, JT Taylor was hit by a pitch to bring a run home and the Riders led 6-4 with two outs and the bases loaded. 

Three free passes followed the second out for a 9-4 YC lead and after a wild pitch led to another run, Gump drove in the final two Roughrider runs with a single to center. 

The Gauchos tallied three runs in their home half, however, Yavapai finished the game with a final score of 12-7 to earn the victory.

On the mound, freshman righty Barrett Skaugrud pitched 3.2 innings and struck out five while surrendering three runs (none of which were earned). After Skaugrud, fellow freshman righty Cayden Collins took over and tossed the final 4.1 innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out eight. 

Offensively, Gump led the way with a 4-for-5 effort with four RBIs while Ulloa went 3-for-3 and scored twice. Zeigler and Warinner accounted for the other YC hits with one apiece. 

Game Two
Game two was less dramatic thanks to redshirt-sophomore lefty Cal Lambert who dominated in the contest with six shutout innings. Lambert surrendered just three hits, allowed no walks and struck out five. 

After four scoreless innings, the Roughriders continued the big-inning theme of the day with six runs scored in the top of the fifth. Warinner, freshman infielder Ethan Thomas and freshman outfielder Jude Hall all singled to load the bases with two outs. 

After that, disaster ensued for the Gauchos as York reached on an error to make it 1-0, Ulloa drove in two with a single to left, Gump drove in two with a triple to right and redshirt-freshman outfielder Jack Nehls drove in one with a single to make it 6-0 Yavapai. 

The two-out rally proved to be the difference in the ballgame as the Gauchos pushed across just one run in their final three offensive frames, giving Yavapai the 6-1 game-two victory and Saturday sweep. 

On the mound, sophomore righty Matt Bachelier closed out the contest and allowed no earned runs. At the plate, Gump led the way with two hits while Ulloa, Nehls, Warinner, Thomas, Hall, Tambone and freshman catcher Cade Westerlund all had one. 

Up Next
The Roughriders next matchup is set for Friday, February 4, when they will take on the Salt Lake Community College Bruins at 1:30 p.m. in Mesa, Arizona, at Sloan Park to open up the 2022 Zinger Bat Invitational Tournament.