Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press
It was another outstanding outing by the New Mexico Military Institute Colt pitching staff.
Luis A. Patron, Bailey Mego and Jose Barcelo combined for a one-hitter with 15 strikeouts.
The Colts began the 28th annual Roswell Sertoma Colt Classic with a 9-0 win over the Tularosa Wildcats in the first round Thursday night at NMMI Ballpark.
NMMI advances to the championship semifinals where it faces Santa Rosa at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
“They’re gonna have to understand (that) every run matters in this level, especially when you get to district,” said NMMI head coach Charlie Ward. “Give credit to our three pitchers. They threw strikes. We did what he had to do.
“We got a long ways to go maturity wise and that’s what we’re working on. Hey, we’re in it. That’s all you can ask. Everything fell into place.”
Patron began the game striking out the side in the top of the first.
NMMI had a chance to brew something together in the bottom half of the inning, but a double play and a runner caught stealing at second abruptly ended the inning after the first two batters reached on a single by Patron and a walk by Tegin Maloney.
Tularosa got its first baserunner aboard in the top of the second, but Patron struck out the next three batters to work out of the inning.
The Colts finally broke the shutout in the bottom of the frame after Miguel Rivera led off the inning with a walk.
An error by the second baseman allowed Rivera to later score.
Patron tallied two more strikeouts in the top of the third. Barcelo also threw out a runner at second to extinguish Tularosa’s scoring opportunity after a leadoff walk by Jacoby Apachito.
The NMMI offense prospered in the bottom of the third. Maloney and Mego each drew a walk while Patron singled to center to load up the bases.
Barcelo delivered an RBI single to center to make the score 2-0. Rivera then drove in two more runs with a single to right.
The Wildcats broke up the no-hitter in the fourth on a single by Colton Gililland. Patron worked out of the jam by striking out three batters in the frame.
NMMI rallied for five runs in the sixth. It took advantage of two errors, two walks and three hits.
Rivera hit a clutch two RBI single to center in the big inning.
Patron improves to 5-0 after he pitched a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts in four innings of work.
Mego relieved the next two innings, striking out three batters. Barcelo tossed a hitless seventh inning with one strikeout.
Patron helped out his own cause by going 3 for 4 at the plate with three singles and an RBI.
Rivera finished 2 for 4 with two singles and four RBI. Alexys Valverde went 1 for 3 with a double.
The Colts tallied nine hits.
“Beautiful day for baseball. We saw four good games. We’re in the semifinals tomorrow. Let the chips fall where they may,” Ward added.
>> COLT CLASSIC SCORES (DAY 1)
- Capitan 6, Dexter 2
- Shiprock 6, Texico 1
- Santa Rosa 18, Hatch Valley 8 (5)
>> DAY 2 SCHEDULE
- Dexter vs. Texico, 10 a.m. (Consolation semifinals)
- Hatch Valley vs. Tularosa, 12:45 p.m. (Consolation semifinals)
- Capitan vs. Shiprock, 3:30 p.m. (Championship semifinals)
- Santa Rosa vs. NMMI, 6:30 p.m. (Championship semifinals)
NMMI 9, Tularosa 0
TULAR.….0000000 — 0 1 4
NMMI……013005x — 9 9 0
Jalen Randall, Jacoby Apachito (4). Luis A. Patron, Bailey Mego (5), Jose Barcelo (7). W — Patron. L — Randall. 2B — NMMI: Bailey Mego, Alexys Valverde. 3B — None. HR — None.
Records — Tularosa (3-3); NMMI (8-0).