T-Bird (BB) Sweeps Plainsmen
The Thunderbirds bats stayed hot this week as NMJC swept Frank Phillips at Ray Birmingham Field March 22-23.
Game 3
Starting pitcher Brayan Orrantia threw a complete-game shutout in the 10-0 win over the Plainsmen in Game 3. Orrantia allowed just one hit, struck out two, and walked one batter in five innings of work.
Lane Arroyos hit a 3-run homer to open things up in the bottom of the 1st inning. NMJC added a run in the second inning, four in the bottom of the 4th, and two more in the bottom of the 5th to run rule Frank Phillips 10-0.
First baseman Lane Arroyos went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, four RBIs, and two runs scored. Shortstop Luis Urias was 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored. Third baseman Brent Iredale went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two doubles, and two runs scored.
The T-Birds finished the game with 11 hits and seven RBIs.
Game 4
The Thunderbirds defeated Frank Phillips College 21-13 in eight innings to sweep the Plainsmen in four games. NMJC scored 49 runs in the series and only gave up 14 runs to the Plainsmen.
The T-Birds trailed 3-0 after the top of the 1st inning. NMJC fought back in the bottom half of the inning and put up four runs to take the lead. Runners came across on a Brent Iredale single and a Jonatan Clough 3-run shot to right field. Frank Phillips walked in a run and then Iredale hit a sacrifice fly to center to make the score 7-3 in favor of the Thunderbirds after the first.
The Plainsmen knocked out NMJC starting pitcher Isaiah Arteaga in the top of the 2nd and went on to tie the game at 7-7 by the end of the inning. Arteaga lasted 1.1 innings and allowed four earned runs and four hits.
Christian Hoffman came up in the bottom of the 2nd and hit a 2-run homer to put NMJC back in front 9-7. Luis Urias doubled a run home and NMJC scored on a Plainsmen error to take an 11-7 lead into the third inning.
Frank added three more runs in the top of the 4th to pull within one run 11-10. The T-Birds tacked on runs in the 5th and 6th innings to extend the lead to 13-10. The Plainsmen's Eli West hit a 3-run no doubter to tie the game 13-13 in the top of the 7th.
The T-Birds poured it on in the bottom of the seventh with five singles and a double to score five runs and grab a 18-13 advantage. The Plainsmen walked in two runs in the top of the 8th. Clough's double drove in the final run to mercy rule Frank Phillips 21-13.
Alejandro Maltos-Garcia was the second pitcher in relief going three innings allowing no earned runs and striking out three. Monty Bognar earned his second win of the season. Bognar was the fifth pitcher on the day and went 1.2 innings and struck out four.
Shortstop Luis Urias was 4-for-5 with three doubles, four runs scored, and four RBIs. Catcher Jorge De Los Santos went 3-for-6 with a double and four runs scored. Jonatan Clough went 4-for-5 with four RBIs, two doubles and a 3-run home run.
Right fielder Christian Hoffman was 3-for-4 with a 2-run homer, a double, and two runs scored. Third baseman Brent Iredale had three runs scored, three RBIs, and two walks.
The T-Birds finished the game with 21 hits and 19 RBIs.
NMJC improves to 22-8 (10-2) on the season. The Thunderbirds sit in first place in WJCAC and are one game ahead of Midland College. The T-Birds will face El Paso CC in a four-game series March 29-30 in El Paso, Texas at EPCC Baseball Stadium.
