T-Birds take down Coyotes in first of two game series

Saturday February 17, 2024 - 7:00 a.m. | Dylan DeVlieger

MCC Baseball earned an exciting 7-3 win over No. 18 Chandler-Gilbert on Friday as they improved their record to 7-3 (2-1 ACCAC).

Troy Benko earned his first victory of the year as he threw five innings allowing one run while striking out five. Christian Woodward would earn his first save of the season.

After allowing a Coyote run in the first MCC answered right back in their half of the inning as Bret Housel hit an RBI single to left to tie the game at one each.

In the third inning MCC would take the lead as Agustin Fernandez would steal home and Bret Housel would score as Jayce Vaughn was caught up in a pickle between first and second.

After Fernandez got on base with a liner to the left-center gap in the fifth inning, he would find himself at third base after he attempted to steal second and was able to swipe third after the throw from the CGCC catcher made its way into center field.

With Fernandez on third James Metscher hit a slow chopper between third and short which would score Fernandez and earn Metscher first base as the Coyotes did not attempt to throw him out. 

MCC's Ethan Palmer came in to start the sixth inning and after retiring the first batter would walk the next two. Head coach Tony Cirelli made a call to the bullpen and brought in Jacob Wendt who was able to strike out the first batter he faced and got the second to hit an easy ground ball to Jayden Israel who fielded it cleanly and recorded the out at first.

In both the sixth and seventh innings the T-Birds were knocking on the door as they were able to get a runner on second but failed to bring him across home plate, going into the top of the eighth inning MCC held a 4-1 lead.

Sam Kaiser came in at the start of the eighth inning and would get into trouble early as he gave up a lead off double and would hit the next two batters to load the bases with nobody out.

Cirelli turned to his lefty Christian Woodward to work out of the jam. Woodward would get the first batter to fly out to deep center field which would score one. He would get the next batter to pop up to shortstop for the second out. With runners on the corners the T-Birds had a Coyote in a pickle between first and second, as they were attempting to secure the out the runner from third made a dash for home and with a head first slide came in before the tag scoring a run and cutting the MCC lead to just one.

Woodward would get the final out of the inning with a strikeout, his first of four on the day. With their lead shaved down Mesa knew they had to get their bats going in the eighth. 

Michael Williamson and Nicholas Masciangelo would be hit back-to-back to start the inning. Israel laid down a picture perfect bunt down the third base line which left all the T-Birds safe, loading the bases for Josh Degroot. 

Degroot would somehow find a way to keep everyone safe as his grounder up the middle was fumbled by the Coyotes and their throw to first was not in time as MCC tacked on a run in the process.

Fernandez would fly out in the right-center gap, earning a sac-fly RBI and giving MCC a 3-6 advantage. A wild pitch would score another T-Bird as they would take a 7-3 lead into the top of the ninth inning.

Woodward would sit the Coyotes down 1-2-3 in the final frame striking them out to earn the save and a T-Bird win.

Mesa will travel to No. 18 Chandler-Gilbert on Saturday to close their home and home series. First pitch is at 12, all the action can be watched live by clicking here.