Thunderbirds power past Mustangs JV

The New Mexico Junior College baseball team played two games Sunday when the University of the Southwest's junior varsity squad crossed the Lovington Highway for a doubleheader against the Thunderbirds.

The T-Birds quickly took control of the opening game, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs on the way to a 13-3 win. In the nightcap, NMJC again scored eight runs in the first, beating the JV Mustangs 15-5.

With the sweep, the T-Birds have won four straight and improve to 7-2 on the season. NMJC will be back in action Friday when Navarro College comes to Ray Birmingham Field for a doubleheader on Friday and another on Saturday.

The T-Birds hit three home runs in the first game, all of them coming in the first inning.

"That is part of playing here," NMJC Skipper Jimmy Durham said. "You are going to have to face that on both sides. It is not easy to deal with on the mound. If you can pitch here, you can pitch anywhere."

Ryan Rijo got the scoring started with a three-run blast to left-center. Rody Barker led off the home half of the first with a walk and Jacob Cubillos followed with a single. Rijo then launched his first home run of the year over the fence for a 3-0 lead. After a pop out, Avery Tuck singled and Jake Dickerson walked. Colton Buckner then hit the T-Birds' second three-run bomb of the inning. The very next batter, Cade Acrey made it 7-0 when he launched NMJC's third homer of the inning.

The T-Birds got one more run in the inning. Joab Gonzalez walked and stole second and third. An errant throw by the USW catcher allowed Gonzalez to push NMJC's lead to 8-0. The T-Birds wouldn't score again until the fourth inning though.

"(We jumped on them) and then kind of went to sleep," Durham said. "We have to learn to keep pressure applied when it is there to be kept."

New Mexico Junior College pushed its lead to 9-0 in the fourth. Soterio Ramirez singled with one out and moved to third on Tuck's single. Tuck was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double. Dickerson then doubled home Ramirez.

The Mustangs' JV squad got on the board in the top of the fifth. Josh Reyes walked and moved to third on Hayden Keese's double. Reyes then scored on a wild pitch while Keese moved to third. Mike Davis walked to put runners on the corners. John Magruder then struck out at the same time USW attempted a double steal. Davis was thrown out at second, but Keese was able to score, cutting NMJC's lead to 9-2.

The JV Mustangs added another run in the top of the sixth and once again it was because of a leadoff walk. Anthony Rios worked the free pass and two outs later he scored on Micha Tambur's double.

"We had a four game set over the weekend and some of these guys got to play a majority of the weekend," USW coach Ethan Moffitt said. "Coming out today, we wanted to compete better than the score showed and its not something we are really proud about, but with the long weekend, at least these guys tried and scrathed something across."

Leading 9-3, the T-Birds scored four times in the sixth to end the game. The game-ending hit came off the bat of Barker and scored Acrey. Dickerson, Tuck, and Buckner also scored in the sixth.

Every T-Bird hitter reached base safely at least once and scored at least one run.

"That is kind of what you expect and hope for Durham said. "When it happens, it is great on their part that they do it. It should be what they strive for every time they go out and play."

Barker reached base in all five trips to the plate. He drew four walks before collecting an RBI-single in his final at bat. Tuck was 3-for-3 with two runs and was hit by a pitch. Buckner was 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk. He scored twice and had five RBI. Dickerson was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a stolen base, and an RBI. Rijo and Acrey also had two hits.

"(Barker) is like that," Durham said. "It doesn't matter who he is facing, he don't mind working deep in the count. He is comfortable hitting with two strikes or any strikes in the count."

William Tucker got the start, and the win. He pitched the first four innings, allowing one hit, in the first inning, and walked two while striking out five. Ty Stephenson pitched the final two innings. He allowed two hits and walked three while giving up three runs, one of which was unearned.