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Matadors start baseball year with 4 convincing victoriesIU H \RK) liOCHFEUn H Son Sports Editor■Jeff Ahern showed why he wa- made a draft choice by professional baseball The Arizona Western College freshman handcuffed Mesa Community College 7-2 last night on a sparkling two-hit. 16 strikeout performance The win upped AUC -record to -1-0 with two games remaining today in the Western Desert Classic Friday the Matadors beat Kastern Arizona 10-1 and the \ri/ona State University junior varsity 1J-5; then yesterday morning AWC destroyed Palo Verde College Is-6.Western plays Crossmont College at 11 a m today, then plays a yet to be determined foe at I p m in the tourney's final game to decide the championship.Hut last night the story was Ahern. The lefthander with the live fastball was in complete control and had only two shakv innings, the first and third when he was nicked for Mesa's only hits and runsIn the first inning a two-out walk and a double by .John Calvano produced a run, but the Matadors answered that in th* bottom of the tram*Dare! Pegues led off w ith a single and moved to third on a double to right by Steve Bavoff Both scored on wild pitchesMesa tied it in the third on a walk and a triple by David (iroth. but again the Matadors, swinging aggressive bats, came right backBay off singled, one nut later Stew F.dmunds walked and Jerry Fontes reached on a fielder's choice F.dmunds was called safe at second when he was interferred * ith on the way to the bag Then shortstop Randal Carter and catcher David Carran/a walked, forcing in two run*- and a single by Marvev \S illis tallied another ant] the Matadors were on top 5-2 They never looked back A two-run -ingle by Willi*- accounted for the final two runs n tht -o w nhAhern was new r ir. trouble again and seemed to get strlt;r ger a* the game wore on lb struck * tut eight of the last 11 hitters he faced including the finaltwo of the gameIt was the first route-going performance of the young season for AWC pitchers The first three games of the tournament were dominated by Western - bats. but it wa- pitching last nightYesterday mornings game was a three-hour, error-filled marathon that was actually called oft in the middle of the ninth inning with the Matadors romping awavAWC scored three runs in the first inning, one in the second two in the third, one in the fifth, three in the seventh four in the eighth and four more in the ninth before things were mercifully lt;ailed to a haltThe fug --tick for the Matadors was right fielder Randy Higdon who was four for four with a double, triple and seven KBF-Freshman pitcher David Thomason a Yuma High graduate, picked up the w in. going six innings and allow ing five hits and three earned run* He -truck out five and w aiked four Two other former Cnms were in the lineup, first baseman Perry \nderson and catcher (ierald HehoLeadotf man Darel Pegues normally an outfielder, was forced to play shortstop because of injuries to Randal Carter and Steve Oakley, the regular shortstopsPegues and third baseman Jerry Fontes each scored four runs during the romp over the outclassed Pirates Friday afternoon, Kola - Billy Faguna. now a sophomore at AWC. pitched six inning- of four-hit baseball, allowing only one unearned run The Matadors scored seven times in the first inning against ASF and never looked bat k as they pounded out 11 hitsFontes Mike Render and Harvey Willis rapped out two hit- each and Pegues, Stev* Bavoff. Kevin Moore. Carter and Higdon hail one safety apieceIn the tourney opener. AWC blit/.ed Kastern with nme lir-t inning run- as everyone in the lineup scored during the frame.Bavoff and Fontes each ripped triples m the game, Fontes drivinghome three runs Bavoff and Rentier drovt in two eachMark DiBenedetti was th» winning pitcher, throwing the fast four mning-Pat Merrill mopped up effectively for the Matador- as he did during the romp over Palo \ erde.After today’s tourney finale, the Matadors play College o! the Dt-s* rt at 2p.m Wednesdayr h eWt-llKN *» -1 !K V-O K\ 000 :■» oDiHet'edett, Vfernll ant} Carranza Cruahvrd Mi Miilen II and Vrr- ia W1 IhHcnedilt II'(not lord■VWi lit' IV, IC. I- f..nte*l Id- ..-d* W I Kntdrtl Carranza 1, I.una )1 \( ■ h:t» VlarrCi VI, Dai I i« 'i Vrr,..,. -..I. .Willi* 1VSl\WSrheNhv SriMir. . I Kr - 11 M,IV C-I* VVSl hit* Irvin.' VII. ParkInv :. , Whi*ll.-r ! VWt'hila I' Hsw.ffCarter Will. Kih-lt;! i iVWt uPAM) VBHDf iOll'hnmaw'n VIerr.1! ,nd U.-h. Hunrt-' in Wf* Itv-r.i -VWt htt* •* ' •M.K.t. . Vn.d. - i, . f VI.O V MIDI - t* flu1 : f •.i liUfKMOfl 1 OlVe?,* 1VI f -VAWC1 lander.) and S. »t*lt;*r. Vherr. ar. I iK fuh-ihrtin.loh tvo * \ftfay er Barrett .■* l.rirth d Bm»n rf l alvar;.. dh Nevn *lt;m Phillip* i'.1 a-1 *on ! Vndera.-.n Aldrrna ** Dander.. p TmaJ*Cemje* rf Havnf* 2h Kigdnn dh f-.dmund* 1 f „nte* n Hender if ' 'after ** f arran/a c W ill,, . ' Ahern, p
Newspaper Details
Yuma Sun
Yuma, Arizona, US
Sun, Feb 13, 1977
Page 19
Full Page
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Yuma C.
AZ, USA 03 Jun 2025
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