By ED PETRUSKA, Contributing Writer Mar 30, 2021 Updated 8 min ago

SIGNAL PEAK — Winning has come in a variety of forms for the top-ranked Central Arizona College baseball team, which remained undefeated with Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Chandler-Gilbert.

The Vaqueros are 28-0 overall and 18-0 in Arizona Community College Athletic Conference play following their 5-4 and 14-7 victories over the host Coyotes.

"It's nice to have a bunch of different types of games," CAC coach Anthony Gilich said. "Hitters have bailed us out (in some) and pitchers have bailed us out."

Central averages 9.4 runs and 10 hits per game, including 3.9 extra-base hits. The team batting average is a robust .326. Opponents are batting .193 against the pitchers, whose collective ERA is 2.44.

After being held to seven hits in the seven-inning opener against Chandler-Gilbert, only one of which drove in a run, the Vaqueros collected 13 in Game 2 — including four doubles, one triple and three home runs.

Florence High School product Mat Olsen went six innings in Game 1 to raise his record to 6-0. The right-hander was perfect through four innings before allowing three runs in the fifth. Olsen recovered to keep the Coyotes (11-13, 8-10 ACCAC) off the board in the sixth.

"He was able to bounce back, which was good to see," Gilich said.

Drew Sommers registered his second save despite giving up a run in the seventh.

The Vaqueros took a 5-0 lead with two runs in the second, one in the third and two in the fifth. Their two RBIs came on Vinnie LaGatta's second-inning single and Dayton Dooney's fifth-inning groundout.

Matt Aribal's two-out grand slam in the fifth inning of Game 2 gave CAC a 9-3 lead in Game 2. JD McLaughlin hit a solo homer in the first — his team-leading fifth — and a two-out, two-run triple (team-best sixth) in Central's three-run seventh. Preston Godfrey had a solo home run in the third, and Kiko Romero provided a two-out, two-run double in the fourth that snapped a 3-3 tie and put the Vaqueros ahead to stay.

"We've been doing a good job lately of getting two-out hits (while) being down in the count," Gilich said.

Godfrey went 3 for 6. Collecting two hits apiece were Romero, McLaughlin, Hayden Seldomridge and Aribal.

Reliever Shane Spencer (4-0) allowed two runs and struck out seven in four innings after replacing starter Daniel Davila, who gave up five runs (three earned) in four innings. Cristian Sanchez struck out the side in the ninth while holding Chandler-Gilbert scoreless.

CAC plays doubleheaders at Mesa (16-8, 10-6) on Tuesday and at Phoenix (8-14, 6-12) on Saturday. The Vaqueros hold a five-game lead over Pima in the ACCAC standings with 20 games remaining.