Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press
DEXTER — The New Mexico Military Institute Colt baseball team got back on track Tuesday afternoon with an 18-8 victory over the Dexter Demons in five innings at the Hal Bogle Sports Complex.
It was the squad’s 11th victory of the season. More importantly, this was the 333rd career victory for head coach Charlie Ward, who is in his 22nd year at the helm of the program.
“I don’t know how much longer life is for me, but that’s just a pretty cool way to say where I’m at in life and my career,” Ward said. “We got a lot of baseball left. The big picture is still in front of us.”
The Colt offense was hot at the plate, stringing together 15 hits.
NMMI got back to back singles in the top of the first to help Jose Barcelo drive in Gael Garza on a grounder to shortstop.
Dexter came back in the bottom half of the frame by taking a 2-1 lead. The Demons got an RBI double by Julian Manzanares.
Manzanares later scored by coaxing a balk on an attempt to steal home.
NMMI rallied for nine runs in the second.
Tegin Maloney tied up the game with a sacrifice fly to center that brought in Norberto Valencia.
With two outs, Bailey Mego hit an RBI single to put the Colts ahead 3-2. Barcelo followed up with an RBI double.
Gentry Caplan scored on an error during the hit to left field.
Luis A. Patron then delivered an RBI single. The Colts tacked on four more runs to extend their lead to 10-2.
Dexter cut the lead in half with a two RBI triple by Joshua Duran and a wild pitch in the bottom of the second.
Tallying four hits and taking advantage of an error, the Colts extended their lead to nine in the top of the third. Barcelo hit a clutch two RBI double to center while Valencia drove in Nico Rice on a single to highlight the four-run rally.
NMMI added on four more runs in the fifth to make the score 18-5. Alexys Valverde had an RBI double during the inning.
Maloney notched the win to improve to 2-3 after he threw three innings allowing three hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts.
Miguel Rivera relieved the final two innings as he allowed four hits and struck out two batters.
Five Colts had a multi-hit day at the plate.
Barcelo went 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles and four RBI while Mego drove in two runs to finish 3 for 4 with three singles.
Maloney tallied two singles and an RBI to go 2 for 3.
Valencia hit three singles and tallied one RBI to finish 3 for 4. Luis C. Patron went 2 for 4 with two singles and an RBI.
“It was good to get back on track, especially with this tough district,” said Ward. “Dexter swung the bat. They 10-run ruled Tucumcari 20-2, so I knew that they’d be swinging.
“I’m happy for them, but there’s a long ways to go in this to get where we need to be in the big picture.”
>> UP NEXT: NMMI travels to Tucumcari for a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.
NMMI 18, Dexter 8 (5)
NMMI….19404 — 18 15 3
DEXT….23003— 8 7 7
Tegin Maloney, Miguel Rivera (4). Erick Brock, Nathan Cobos (4). W — Maloney (2-3). L — Brock. 2B — NMMI: Alexys Valverde, Jose Barcelo (2); Dexter: Julian Manzanares. 3B — Dexter: Joshua Duran. HR — None.
Records — NMMI (11-4, 1-3); Dexter (3-10, 2-2).