PRESCOTT, Ariz. (February 14, 2026)

Valentines Day proved sweet indeed for the Yavapai College Roughriders, who used timely hitting and shut-down relief in the opening game; then swung the lumber in a big way to complete a sweep of Ottawa University of Arizona in a daytime doubleheader at Roughrider Field on Saturday.

Game One

Yavapai College premiered its pristine new field to a packed and enthusiastic crowd. The day started sunny but cold, and the Riders did the same. The top of OUAZ's lineup – who hit YC pitching hard all day – connected on three consecutive hits to open the game and jump to a three-run lead off YC starter Austin Kalsek by the end of the first inning.

But the Riders battled back in the bottom of the frame: a Dalton Irwin double was followed by the first of two homers by Matthew Peterson. The Riders took the lead in the second when another Irwin double drove in Catcher Derek Kiepke and LF Carter Brown, but a home run by Ottawa's second baseman tied the game 4-4 in the top of the fourth. 

Peterson's second homer – a three-run bomb in the bottom of the fourth – broke the game open. Aussie pitcher Max Strickland took the hill for the Riders in the fifth inning, using his 90-plus mph fastball to strike out the side in the sixth, and notching the win with a 7 - 6 Roughrider victory in a seven-inning game.

Game Two

YC Freshman pitcher James Rule used exceptional control to set the tone early, as the Riders combined plate discipline, aggressive baserunning, and a three-hit performance by left-fielder Garison Jones to shut down Ottawa in a five-inning, 19 – 4 run-rule victory.

Twelve YC batters came to the plate in the bottom of a wild, eight-run first inning that featured five walks, YC's Aukai Araujo-Waiau stealing third base, then home, and an emphatic Jones Grand Slam to right-center field. Catcher Derek Kiepke also stole home in the fourth inning. Throwing a steady diet of high-80's-low-90's strikes, Rule kept OUAZ off-balance all afternoon, setting the side down in order in the second inning, with three strikeouts and one double-play.

Up Next

Saturday's two wins give the Roughriders a 3-0 winning streak and make them 4-2 in the young season. YC Baseball's next contest is Wednesday, February 18, when they take on the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack at 1:30 p.m., at Roughrider Park on YC's Prescott Campus.