NMMI Sports Press
The Colt Baseball team mercy-ruled the Capitan Tigers 17-7 Thursday morning at the 23rd annual Hal Bogle baseball tournament in nearby Dexter.
Sophomore shortstop Tegin Maloney capped off a nine-run fifth inning with an inside-the-park grand slam that ended the game early. It was the only hit in a frame that saw 10 Colts reach base on six walks, three hit by pitch and a fielding error.
The Institute had its own issues with errors, committing four throughout the game, including two in the top of the fifth, aiding the Tigers as they scored five runs and momentarily turned an early blowout into a competitive game.
“We started off good, had an 8-2 lead and then sort of let up and some little mistakes piled up,” said first-year head coach and former NMMI Bronco baseball player Brad Blackwell. “That stuff could have lost us the game, but the guys responded and had a big fifth.”
Senior Miguel Rivera got the start for the Colts, allowing three hits with two strikeouts and a walk while keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard through the first three innings.
“Miguel’s a senior leader and I have complete confidence in him whenever he’s on the mound,” said Blackwell. “He’s very confident and I think the team feeds off of that. He’s also a great guy, the kind you always want in your clubhouse. He can pitch, he can hit, he can run. He’s a real threat.”
Rivera went 2-for-2 from the plate with a double, two walks, two runs batted in and three runs scored.
Sophomore outfielder Nicolas Barcenas was the only other Colt with multiple hits, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs and a run scored.
All seven NMMI hits came from the top five batters in the order. Couple that with the fielding errors and it wasn’t surprising to hear Blackwell say there could be changes to the lineup before tomorrow’s game.
Senior right-hander Bailey Mego almost got through the top of the fourth unscathed, but a catching error allowed the first two Capitan runs to cross the plate. Mego started the fifth with a walk, single and hit by pitch to load the bases before his younger brother, sophomore Ryan Mego relieved him.
Ryan Mego began his day with a strikeout, but an error and two singles later brought the Tigers within a run at 8-7. Mego kept his composure after a run-scoring wild pitch and got the final Capitan outs on a sac-fly and a ground out.
The Colts (3-1) will take on Santa Rosa tomorrow (Friday, March 17) at 3 p.m. A win punches NMMI’s ticket to the tournament championship Saturday at 6 p.m.