T-Bird (BB) Falls to No. 7 Salt Lake
NMJC baseball fell to No. 7 Salt Lake CC 13-11 on Tuesday afternoon. The Bears scored runs in each of the first eight innings with the ninth the only scoreless inning the entire game.
The Thunderbirds fell behind early 5-0 after the first two innings.
Freshman Jeter Battles put the T-Birds on the board with an RBI double in the bottom of the second. Jorge De Los Santos tripled in two more runs to bring NMJC within two runs, 5-3. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for DH Julius Ramirez. The slugger smashed a grand slam to left center to give NMJC their first lead of the game. The Thunderbirds finished the second inning with a 7-5 lead.
Salt Lake scored a run in the third and fourth to tie the score at 7-7 and then the Bears retook the lead with two runs in the fifth to make the score 9-7. A run in the sixth and seventh gave Salt Lake an 11-7 lead.
NMJC mounted another comeback in the bottom of the seventh. The Thunderbirds scored on a sac fly by Lucian Dixon, an RBI single by Jeter Battles, a passed ball that brought in Luis Urias, and Talan Barraza RBI single that evened the score at 11 after seven. Salt Lake took the lead back in the eighth inning scoring two runs to bring the score to 13-11.
The Thunderbirds had two runners on in the ninth with two outs but a groundout by Callum Donnelly ended the game in favor of the Bears.
Catcher Jorge De Los Santos went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a triple. First baseman Lane Arroyos was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a double.
Second baseman Luis Urias batted 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Left fielder Jeter Battles went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Dominick Maese earned the start on the mound allowing five runs in 1 1/3 innings of work. Reliever Tadum Widner suffered the loss going one inning striking out two batters and walking three.
The Thunderbirds ended the day with 13 hits and two errors.
The T-Birds fall to 4-3 on the season and will play in the Tournament of Champions at Andy Pettite Park in Houston, Texas. NMJC begins the tournament with Seminole State Friday, Feb. 7 at 9 a.m. CST.
