T-Birds sweep El Paso, again
The New Mexico Junior College baseball team took the series from El Paso Community College Saturday, sweeping the home team for the second straight day.
The Thunderbirds ran their win streak to four straight Saturday afternoon after beating El Paso Community College 10-2 in the opening game of a doubleheader and then winning 15-6 in the night cap.
The Thunderbirds had 12 hits, seven going for extra bases. Ben Malgeri, Christopher Martinez, and Angel Presinal all hit home runs.
Ty Ringo started the game. He allowed five hits over 4.1 innings of work while striking out eight.
In the night cap, NMJC had 17 hits and 10 going for extra bases. Ollie Thompson and Adrian Torres had long balls for the T-Birds.
Jacob Simms started the game and got the win, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over five innings of work. The T-Bird hurler struck out three and hit one batter.
With the sweep, NMJC improves to 8-12 on the season and starts Western Junior College Athletic Conference play 4-0. NMJC will hold is home opener on Tuesday when Howard College comes to Ray Birmingham Field for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
The team opened Western Junior College Athletic Conference play with a win Friday, taking a doubleheader El Paso Community College on the road. NMJC rallied to win the first game 8-7 and crushed El Paso 12-4 in the second game.
In the opener, NMJC battled back from a 7-1 deficit in the top of the seventh to beat El Paso 8-7.
El Paso took the early lead, scoring twice in the first and five times in the third. By the time the T-Birds scored their first run, they trailed 7-0.
NMJC scored its first run in the top of the fourth. Adrian Torres singled to start the fourth and moved to second on a wild pitch. He then advanced to third on a fly out before coming around to score on a two-out single off the bat of Ben Malgeri.
The T-Birds scored again in the top of the seventh. Angel Andrades singled to start the inning and moved to second on Ollie Thompson's single. Jalen Benton followed with another single to load the bases before Angel Presinal walked, scoring Davis Mabone who was running for Andrades.
With the bases still loaded, Erick Martinez then tripled, clearing the bases, and cutting the deficit to 7-4. Brendan Henits grounded into a fielder's choice in which Martinez was out trying to score. Carlos Conteras doubled, putting runners on second and third. After Zac Vooletich was retired, Malgeri crushed a three-run homer to center field, giving NMJC an 8-7 lead.
Jairo Vasquez started the game and pitched five innings and did not factor into the final outcome. Vasquez allowed seven runs, only three of which were earned, on eight hits and two walks while striking out five. Joseph Mihelich allowed one walk, but pitched a scoreless sixth inning to earn the win while Justin Butz set El Paso down in order in the bottom of the seventh to record the save.
In the nightcap, El Paso again scored first, but NMJC tied the game in the next frame. The T-Birds took a 3-1 lead in the third, but El Paso tied the game in the bottom of that frame. NMJC took the lead for good with one run in the fifth and then exploded for seven runs in the top of the sixth. El Paso scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth while NMJC scored once more in the top of the seventh.
The T-Birds had 16 hits in the game. Contreras and Torres each had two doubles while Thompson had one. Malgeri and Thompson each had a triple.
Angel Delacruz was the only starter not to score a run in the game. Torres, Contreras, Vooletich, and Malgeri each scored two. Malgeri and Thompson each drove in two.
Pablo Suarez started the game, went five innings, and got the win. He gave up all four runs, though only two were earned, on nine hits and four walks while striking out nine.
The T-Birds will close out the four-game series with another doubleheader today.