PHOENIX – The Yavapai College baseball team dropped two road games on Friday afternoon against the GateWay Community College Geckos with scores of 7-6 and 9-0, respectively. On the season, the Roughriders are now 18-13 overall and 13-9 in ACCAC contests. 

Game One
The Roughriders and Geckos went back-and-forth in game one, starting with an RBI single off the bat sophomore outfielder Jackson Lapiner in the top of the second that gave YC a 1-0 lead. 

In the bottom half of the second, the Geckos benefited from a YC error with two outs and took a 2-1 lead, however, the Roughriders tied the game in the top of the third on an infield RBI single from sophomore outfielder Jude Hall. 

GateWay then scored once more in the bottom of the third to take its second lead of the day at 3-2, however, in the top of the fourth, it was the Geckos' turn to gift YC a pair of runs as an error with runners on second and third gave YC two runs and its second lead of the day at 4-3. 

After a scoreless fifth inning for both squads, freshman outfielder Nolan Sparks launched a two-run homer, his first of the season, in the top of the sixth to give the Roughriders a 6-3 lead. 

The lead, however, only lasted until the final frame of the ballgame as the Geckos were able to push four runs across the plate in the bottom of the seventh for the walkoff win with a 7-6 final. 

Lapiner tallied two hits in game one as did sophomore outfielder Blake Jacklin and sophomore infielder Mitch Wood. Sparks, freshman infielder Niko Rosell, Hall and sophomore utility man Barrett Skaugrud each finished with one hit apiece. 

Game Two
Unfortunately for the Roughriders, the late collapse in game one led to a lopsided game two. 

After going down 1-0 after the fourth, GateWay scored four times in the fifth and three times in the sixth to take a commanding 8-0 lead and eventually won with a 9-0 final. 

In game two, the Roughriders tallied just four hits, one apiece from Jacklin, Sparks, sophomore infielder Ethan Thomas and freshman infielder Quinn Allen. 

Up Next
The Roughriders are back in action on Tuesday, April 4, at home where they will host the Chandler-Gilbert Community College Coyotes with game one of the doubleheader set for a noon start.