NMMI Sports Press
The Colts racked up 14 hits and didn’t commit an error during a 17-0 shutout of the visiting Dexter Demons Tuesday at the NMMI Ballpark in the final regular-season game between the district rivals.
Junior catcher Luis C. Patron had three hits in the game, including a double and a triple, and drove in three runs. Senior outfielder and pitcher Bailey Mego went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and freshman designated hitter Grant Maloney was 2-for-2 and senior infielder and pitcher Gentry Caplan drove in three runs with a late triple.
Three pitchers combined for a two-hit shutout with senior Miguel Rivera handling the bulk of the work, allowing a single hit over the first three innings with five strikeouts and no walks
Mego handled the fourth inning, allowing a hit and walking one, and Caplan closed the contest, throwing strikes on 8-out-of-12 pitches and striking out two.
“Miguel didn’t have his best outing last game, so we wanted to get him back out there and build his confidence. He has a big role going forward and we want him sharp. Bailey hadn’t pitched in a while and he looked pretty good. Caplan threw strikes and closed the door. That was just his third time on the mound and he was ready for the moment.”
After losing two one-run ballgames at Sandia Prep over the weekend, the Colts needed a good clean win.
“In my opinion, we gave away those two games at Sandia on little mistakes, so it was important for us to come out here, swing the bat, run the bases, throw the ball hard and get ourselves back on track,” said first-year NMMI head coach Brad Blackwell.
The losses at Sandia make the District 4/5-3A race a lot more interesting with the Sundevils now in the driver seat with an 8-2 record, while NMMI sits in second at 7-2. Sandia holds a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over the Colts.
Ruidoso and East Mountain both sit at 7-3 while Dexter and Tucumcari are out of the equation with no district wins. The Colts have two games remaining at Ruidoso and a home doubleheader and single away game against East Mountain.
“We put a little more pressure on ourselves, but that might just be what this team needs,” Blackwell said. “Sometimes losing a couple ballgames isn’t the worst thing. The guys know they are beatable if they don’t play their best, and I feel like we came out more focused and prepared today.”
The Colts host the East Mountain Timberwolves at the NMMI Ballpark for two games starting at 2 p.m. Friday. Both games will be streamed live at KSVPtv.com.