Posted: Apr 03, 2023
In Game 1 on Friday, a walk-off single propelled GateWay Baseball to a decisive, dramatic victory over Yavapai College, 7-6. The Geckos trailed 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning when Diego Trujillo singled on a 1-0 count, scoring two runs.
There was plenty of action on the basepaths as GateWay collected eight hits and Yavapai had ten. The Roughriders got things moving in the second inning when Jackson Lapiner singled on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring one run. The Geckos answered back in the second when Kevynn Fernandez and Nathen Greene both scored on an error. YC tied it up in the top of the third, but Gateway answered back again when a bunt by Kaeden Moore scored Trey Winget. After four unanswered runs were scored by the Roughriders, two in the fourth and two in the sixth, Gateway fought back in the seventh to score four runs and walk it off! Nathan Greene and Trujillo both managed two hits a piece for GateWay.
Zach Martinez was on the pitcher's mound for the Geckos. Martinez lasted four innings, allowing six hits and one earned run while striking out two. Hunter Hargett started the game for Yavapai. The righthander went five innings, allowing 1 earned run on five hits and striking out six. Issac Rehfield entered the game as relief for GW, throwing three innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits, striking out five.
In Game 2 GateWay defeated Yavapai 9-0 on Friday as three pitchers combined to throw a shutout. Mickey Scheetz induced a fly out from Zachary Dando to finish off the game. Noah Olson took the win for the Geckos. The pitcher lasted five innings, allowing zero hits and zero runs while striking out five. Michael Riley and Scheetz entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief. Jackson Lapiner was on the mound for the Roughriders. The pitcher allowed five hits and four runs over four innings, striking out five. Thomas Bartels and Caden Griffin threw two innings each out of the bullpen.
GateWay notched four runs in the fifth inning. Jeffrey Martz, Trey Winget, Macs Carrillo, and Nathan Greene all drove in runs in the frame. A single by Ethan Thomas in the seventh inning was a positive for Yavapai. GateWay collected nine hits on the day. James Warren, Kaeden Moore, Winget, and Martz all managed two hits each for the Geckos. GateWay didn't commit a single error in the field.
