Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press

RIO RANCHO — It was a wild Friday the 13th where drama was plentiful.

Trailing 9-3 in the Class 3A semifinals, the New Mexico Military Institute Colt baseball team rallied for eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to win triumphantly over the six-seeded Raton Tigers 11-9 at Rio Rancho High School.

Third-seeded NMMI advances to the 3A state championship at 4 p.m. Saturday at Santa Ana Star Field in Albuquerque, where it takes on district foe and fifth-seeded East Mountain.

East Mountain defeated Santa Fe Indian School 7-6 in walk-off fashion in the other semifinal matchup.

Just when things looked down and out, the Colts never folded. It’ll be NMMI’s first state championship appearance since 2002.

“We didn’t give up. That’s why we play 21 outs. It’s a grind,” said NMMI head coach Charlie Ward. “You don’t win very many ballgames with five errors. All it took was that one big inning.

“The love they have for each other means more to me than anything else. We’re in the hunt. I don’t know if the stars are lined up for us or something, but we’re gonna give it our best tomorrow.”

NMMI pitcher Tegin Maloney retired the Tigers in order to start the game.

After two singles by Maloney and Jose Barcelo, Miguel Rivera drew a walk to load up the bases in the bottom of the first.

Luis A. Patron then delivered the clutch two RBI single to left to get the Colts on the board 2-0.

Raton got on the board with an RBI single by GB Oliver in the top of the second.

Bailey Mego extended NMMI’s lead to 3-1 after scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom half of the second.

The momentum shifted over to Raton when it pushed across three runs in the third to take a 4-3 lead. Raton took advantage of two errors, a sacrifice fly by Oliver and an RBI double by Matthew Quartieri.

There was a lull in both offenses until the Tigers tacked on three more runs in the top of the fifth. Dylan Quartieri hit an RBI double while Azden Romero drove in a run with a single.

Raton also took advantage of another costly error to make the score 7-3.

Things weren’t cooking for the NMMI offense as it was retired in order in the bottom of the fifth.

The Tigers extended their lead to six runs in the top of the sixth after an RBI single by Dylan Quartieri and a passed ball that allowed Matthew Quartieri to cross home plate.

Three straight walks loaded up the bases for the Colts in the bottom of the sixth. Luis C. Patron hit a blooper to shallow left to bring in a run.

The wheels were set in motion and the rally was sparked.

Mego and Niko Rice drew back to back walks with the bases loaded to make the score 9-6. Maloney then hit an infield single to drive in a run.

Luis C. Patron scored on a passed ball and Rice crossed home for the game-tying run that came off an error.

Miguel Rivera hit the go-ahead RBI single to right. Gentry Caplan added an insurance run after scoring on an error by the shortstop.

The Colts got two quick outs before Dre Nash hit a double to center. Nash tried to leg it out for a triple, but he was thrown out on the relay from Luis A. Patron to Maloney.

Maloney fired a strike to Mego who applied the tag and sent the Colts into a frenzy.

NMMI had nine hits to Raton’s six.

Maloney finished 2 for 3 with two singles and an RBI while Luis A. Patron went 1 for 2 with a single and two RBI.

Luis C. Patron had a single and an RBI to go 1 for 3.

Rivera reached base three times on two walks and a single as he went 1 for 2 with an RBI.

Barcelo tallied a single to go 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Raton pitching staff was plagued by 10 walks.

Barcelo improved to 4-1 after throwing the final 2.1 innings with four strikeouts.

Maloney started the game, tossing 4.1 innings allowing four hits with nine strikeouts.

With their ace Luis A. Patron set to start in the state championship, the Colts are confident they can compete.

“Can we win tomorrow? We got a good chance. We have Luis A. Patron on the mound. You can’t ask for nothing else,” Ward added. “We’re gonna try it again tomorrow, let the chips fall where they may.”

NMMI 11, Raton 9 (7)

RATON…0130320 — 9   9   2

NMMI….210008x — 11   6   5

Chance Middlebrook, Jesse Kelley (6), Trea Ortega (6). Tegin Maloney, Miguel Rivera (5), Jose Barcelo (5). W — Barcelo. L — Kelley. 2B — Raton: Matthew Quartieri, Dylan Quartieri, Dre Nash, Chance Middlebrook. 3B — None. HR — None.

Records — Raton (11-14); NMMI (22-6).