Apaches Split Doubleheader with Utah State Eastern, Move to 8–2 on Season

The Cochise College Apaches baseball team split a doubleheader with Utah State Eastern on Wednesday afternoon, earning a 9–1 win in Game 1 before dropping a tightly contested 5–4 decision in Game 2 at home.

In the opener, Cochise jumped out early and never looked back, scoring five runs in the first inning and cruising to a 9–1 victory.

The Apaches showed patience at the plate, drawing 10 walks and capitalizing on early pitching struggles by the Eagles.

Sophomore third baseman Andrugh Yee led the offensive charge, going 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs, while Sawyer Fech scored twice and added a hit. Landon Blais and Cesar Chavira each drove in a run, and Cochise used aggressive baserunning to pressure the defense throughout the game.

On the mound, Dylan Torres continued his strong start to the season, improving to 3–0 after allowing just one run on three hits over 5.1 innings with eight strikeouts. Daniel Gomez closed out the contest with 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.

Game 2 saw the Eagles respond with timely hitting and late runs to secure a 5–4 win. Utah State Eastern scored three runs in the sixth inning to break a tie and hold off a late Cochise push. 

The Apaches were led offensively by Gavin Mesa, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI, and Yee, who added two RBIs. Shiryu Sato reached base three times with two walks and a double, while Fech and Zach Cavanaugh also contributed hits.

Cochise pitching kept the game close early, with Collin Smith allowing two runs over five innings and striking out five. However, Utah State Eastern's patience at the plate, drawing 10 walks, proved to be the difference in the later innings.

With the split, Cochise moves to 8–2 on the season, continuing a strong start to the 2026 campaign.

The Apaches will look to bounce back quickly when they host Utah State Eastern again for another doubleheader on Friday, February 13, at Bo Hall Field in Douglas, Arizona.