Cochise Baseball opens up 2023 season taking three out of four against Colorado Northwestern

DOUGLAS, Ariz. -- On Friday, January 27th, Cochise Baseball opened its 2023 regular season by hosting Colorado Northwestern College in an afternoon doubleheader. Cochise also played its first game on the new, state-of-the-art artificial turf installed during the offseason. In Game 1 on Friday, the Apaches jumped out to an early lead over Colorado Northwestern, scoring on a double by Makai Desoto in the first inning and a sacrifice fly by Gerardo Hernandez in the second. Evan Shaw earned the opening day start for the Apaches, pitching four no-hit innings, allowing only one run, while striking out three. Cochise had eight hits with Desoto, Dylan Bradford, and Christian Olea all collecting multiple hits. Cochise defeated Colorado Northwestern 4-1.

In Game 2 on Friday, Cochise defeated the Spartans 5-1 led by Fernando Barreda who was on the hill for the Apaches. Barreda lasted four innings, allowing two hits and no runs while striking out two and walking one. In total, the Apaches tallied up seven hits. Mathis Meurant, Eduarny Martinez, and Carlos Vega each had two hits. 

On Saturday, January 28th, another afternoon doubleheader was set between Cochise and Colorado Northwestern which saw the Apaches drop their first game of the early 2023 season in Game 1. The Spartans took an early lead scoring on a single in the first inning off of starting pitcher Tyson Noel. Colorado then scored three more runs in the fifth inning off of reliever Martin Miranda. Starting pitcher Noel went four innings, allowing two runs on two hits, striking out three, and walking one. Eduardo Villareal and Martin Miranda came out of the bullpen in relief. Cochise second baseman Joel Lindahl blasted the first home run of the season for the Apaches taking one deep to left in the fifth inning. Game 1 also saw aggressive baserunning for Cochise as they tallied up six total steals on the game led by Leobardo Melendez with three. In the end, Colorado Northwestern came out with the win 5-3 over Cochise.

In the four-game series finale between the two, Cochise quickly managed to climb back into the win column cruising to a 5-1 victory late Saturday afternoon. The Apaches wasted no time scoring in the second when Kieran Gaffney hit into a fielder's choice scoring a run. Angel Ortiz earned the win starting on the hill for Cochise allowing three hits and one run over three and third innings, striking out four. Vega, Brett Matson, Meurant, and Bradford each collected a hit to lead the Apaches. Cochise Baseball (3-1) hosts Community Christian College, out of Redlands, CA on Friday, February 3rd with another doubleheader at noon, and again for one more on Saturday, February 4th.