NMMI Sports Press
After losing the district lead last weekend in Sandia Park, the Colts were eager to get back on the field and back in the win column, which they did in resounding fashion with two dominating wins over visiting Tucumcari Tuesday at the NMMI Ballpark.
“Coming off those two losses at East Mountain, it’s good to see my guys respond the way they did today,” said second-year head coach Brad Blackwell. “Our pitchers were solid, we hit the ball well and made very few errors. It seems like they put the losses aside and are moving on to the next one.”
Senior Luis Patron, who also plays catcher and third base, picked up his fourth win of the season in a four-inning, one-hit effort, but it wasn’t a walk in the park.
Patron allowed runners into scoring position in each frame as he walked four Rattlers and hit three, but ended each threat with big strikeouts and/or forced groundballs that his defense gobbled up.
“Patron didn’t have his best stuff today, but he pitched his tail off and worked himself out of trouble a few times,” Blackwell said.
Junior closer Cole Seidenberger handled the fifth inning, allowing a single hit with no walk or strikeouts on 13 pitches. The final out of the game came after Seidenberger tossed a called second strike and a Rattler was gunned down trying to steal second base by sophomore catcher Nicolas Barcelo.
Junior pitcher and first baseman Richard West started Game 2 on the mound, allowing two hits and no runs with two walks and two Ks over four innings. The lefty from Carlsbad let only one Rattler reach second base.
“Richard has been really great out there, getting ground balls, getting outs. He’s probably our Game 2 or 3 starter,” said Blackwell. “The defense is confident behind him.”
Junior Noah Martinez closed Game 2 in the top of the fifth, sandwiching a shallow pop out between two Ks.
Across both games, NMMI had five players with multiple hits, eight with runs batted in and 10 with runs scored.
Sophomore first baseman and pitcher Grant Maloney went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and six RBIs to continue his doubleheader hot streak. Over the past six games (three doubleheaders) Maloney has a .688 average and has driven in 17 runs.
“I think having all our doubleheaders at the end like this helps us prepare for playing back-to-back games come playoff time,” said Blackwell. “Our final opponent, Ruidoso is important. We need to take both of those games to have a shot at a top four seed.”
The top four teams get a first-round bye in the state playoffs. Last season, the Colts lost the district by one game, but still earned the No. 2 seed. Four of the six teams in District 4/5-3A made the playoffs in 2023, with three making it to the semifinals and two to the finals, where No. 1 Sandia Prep downed No. 10 Ruidoso 6-5. That Warriors team upset the Colts in the quarters 5-3.
“Whether we get the bye or not and have to host a three-game series in the first round, I think our guys will be locked in,” said Blackwell. “We have plenty of guys on this team from last year and they all remember that feeling. We all feel like we have something to prove.”
The final regular-season matchups start at 11 a.m. Saturday at the NMMI Ballpark. Watch live or later for free at KSVPtv.com.