Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press
In the world of Class 3A baseball, every run counts.
With a chance to keep the unblemished record intact and to win the Sertoma Colt Classic for the first time since 2015, the New Mexico Military Institute Colts stepped out underneath the lights for the title game against the Shiprock Chieftains.
On Saturday night, the Chieftains came away with the 8-4 victory to claim the title at NMMI Ballpark.
Shiprock becomes the first northern school to win the championship since Estancia did it in 2011. Texico had won five of the last six titles prior to the tournament being canceled in 2020 and 2021.
Since the tournament began in 1995, southern schools had claimed 21 tourney championships. St. Michael’s and Moriarty were the other northern schools that were able to win the title in 2009 and 1996, respectively.
“That’s the whole reason that we come down here just so they can get that belief of success that we can compete,” said Shiprock head coach Alfred Baer. “We’ve been down here in years past and we’ve always had to play Texico.
“We were nervous and then we just started battling back. We want to catch that bug now and have it take us throughout the season.”
After a 1-2-3 top of the first for NMMI pitcher Tegin Maloney, the Colts struck first on an RBI triple by Jose Barcelo to make the score 1-0 after one inning.
Maloney retired his next three batters in order.
The Colts were held to one hit in the bottom of the second after Norberto Valencia singled to start off the inning.
Shiprock got its first hit in the top of the third that came in the form of an RBI double by Logan Pioche.
Holden Ettsitty followed up with an RBI single to put the Chieftains ahead 2-1.
NMMI left a runner stranded in the bottom half of the inning as Shiprock pitcher Melvin Lee tallied three strikeouts and allowed one walk.
A balk on the mound led to a run coming across the plate for the Chieftains that made the score 3-1 in the top of the fourth.
The Colts couldn’t muster up any runs in the bottom of the fourth after leaving a pair of runners stranded at first and second.
Shiprock rallied for four runs in the top of the fifth. Adam Phillips had an RBI double while Pioche delivered an RBI triple to center to make the score 5-1.
Ettsitty later drove in a run on a groundout to second. An RBI single by Zach Williams increased the Chieftains’ lead to six.
NMMI cut the deficit to four in the bottom half of the frame on back to back RBI singles by Miguel Rivera and Luis C. Patron.
The Colts trailed by three in the sixth after an RBI double by Maloney.
Lee struck out 10 batters in a complete-game while allowing nine hits and walking four batters.
Pioche drove in two runs to go 2 for 3 with a double and a triple. Gerrell Goldtooth finished 2 for 4 with a pair of singles.
Barcelo led the Colts going 2 for 4 with a triple and an RBI while Maloney finished 1 for 2 with a double, two walks and an RBI.
Maloney tallied eight strikeouts and tossed a three-hitter in four innings of work. All three runs were unearned.
Bailey Mego allowed three hits on three earned runs in one inning. Gentry Caplan threw the final two innings, fanning three batters and allowing one earned run on one hit.
NMMI head coach Charlie Ward would like to thank the Roswell Sertoma Club, the parents, sponsors, administration and support staff for helping make this year’s tournament a success.
“Chieftains get all the credit. They did their job, they threw their ace and that’s what we needed,” said Ward. “That’s what we’re going to see in district.
“Tegin pitched his butt off. That freshman battled. We battled back, too. We’re not smart base runners. We’re 9-1 and we’ve been in two championship games. We’re a good team.”
>> UP NEXT: NMMI travels to Loving at 4 p.m. Monday before opening up district play by hosting East Mountain at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
>> COLT CLASSIC SCORES (DAY 3)
- Dexter 8, Hatch Valley 4 (Seventh place)
- Texico 16, Tularosa 9 (5) (Consolation championship)
- Capitan 13, Santa Rosa 12 (Third place)
>> ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Gerell Goldtooth, junior, Shiprock (MVP)
- Melvin Lee, senior, Shiprock
- Zach Williams, senior, Shiprock
- Jose Barcelo, senior, NMMI
- Miguel Rivera, junior, NMMI
- Jaden Peralta, sophomore, Capitan
- Logan Ritter, sophomore, Capitan
- Jaron Sanchez, senior, Santa Rosa
- Bryson Crow, junior, Texico
- Anthony Paz, sophomore, Tularosa
- Erick Brock, senior, Dexter
Shiprock 8, NMMI 4
SHIPRO….0021401 — 8 7 2
NMMI……1000210 — 4 9 3
Melvin Lee. Tegin Maloney, Bailey Mego (5), Gentry Caplan (6). W — Lee. L — Maloney. 2B — Shiprock: Logan Pioche, Adam Phillips. NMMI: Tegin Maloney. 3B — Shiprock: Logan Pioche. NMMI: Jose Barcelo. HR — None.
Records — Shiprock (7-5); NMMI (9-1).