NMMI Sports Press
After recognizing the sophomore class of 2024 and honoring head coach Chris Cook for his 300th career win last weekend, the Broncos played two of the more memorable games of the dwindling season.
The first, memorable for all the wrong reasons, was a 14-1 loss that featured just five hits, no walks and four errors, and a return to form for an Amarillo lineup that was crushing the ball until recently.
"We didn't come ready to play defense and they did a much better job of taking their best swings on dislocated pitches," said Cook. "They hit for a lot of extra bases, through the wind, and we didn't make any plays to help shorten up those innings and then it just got out of control."
The second game had an ominous start, as the first Aiden Zacarias offering was hit out of the park and an infield error with two outs helped another Badger run cross home plate.
But the Broncos tied it in the bottom of the frame with a two-run single from first baseman Seojun Oh, then took the lead when Oh trotted home after a balk by Amarillo pitcher Colton Klemke. Catcher Benicio Diaz tacked on another run on a line drive to right, scoring Hee-Ryun Han and giving NMMI a 4-2 lead.
Yuki Shigeyasu took over pitching duties in the second inning and retired the side with nine pitches, but the going got tougher in the third and fourth innings as the Badger offense started stringing together hits.
Shigeyasu allowed five runs off nine hits over three innings of work, with no walks or strikeouts.
"The thing I'll give Yuki credit for is he did not walk or hit a single batter," Cook said. "All the runs they got were earned and today was one of those days that you can't use to teach anything with because we walked or hit 12 guys in this game and only two of them scored, and that's usually not the case."
Julian Sullivan and Davian Molina combined to take care of the fifth and sixth innings, with Molina giving up one earned run.
Jason Maldonado entered in the seventh after Molina walked the first hitter, issuing a walk of his own before striking out the 1-2 batters in the Amarillo order. Another walk and an HBP put the Badgers up 8-4 before Maldonado made Payton Bush ground back to the mound for the third out.
The Institute matched Amarillo's seventh-inning score in the bottom of the frame as centerfielder Adonis Bernal smacked a grounder to left, scoring second baseman M.J. Kim, who led off with an HBP.
Maldonado sat the Badgers down in order in the top of the eighth, firing up the Bronco dugout. In the bottom of the inning, third baseman Daniel Lizarraga doubled before shortstop Junhyuk Kwon hit his team-leading 12th home run of the season to cut the AC lead to 8-7.
With two outs, Socarras singled to center — scoring Kim from third to tie the game— then advanced to second on an error by the centerfielder. Socarras scored what would prove to be the game-winning run when right fielder Junho Son doubled to left.
While Bernal was in the middle of drawing a walk, Son took third when a curveball in the dirt got away from the catcher. On a wild ball four pitch, Son tried to steal home but was tagged out and shaken up after his helmet collided with the planted, armored shin of the catcher, ending the inning.
Maldonado made more quick work of the Badgers in the ninth, bookending a ground out with his fourth and fifth Ks of the day. As the umpire called the final out, Maldonado roared in celebration, punching the air multiple times before meeting his catcher in a big hug.
"Jason's emotions can help him or hurt him. It got the best of him in his first inning and I think he just got ahead of himself a little bit. But he's got an unbelievable breaking ball and good command of his fastball," Cook said. "He's a third-year guy that went through an injury, surgery, rehab and now he's back and his stuff is better."
The Broncos' (18-14) final opponent of the season, the Howard Hawks (17-15), won both their games against Odessa College (16-16) to stay one game back of the Institute. El Paso (15-17) is also still within striking distance.
"Howard is extremely tough to beat at their place, but we're in a position where depending on how everyone else does, one win could ice a top four, two wins could get us into third," Cook said.
The top four teams in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference will meet the top four from the North Texas conference in Waco, Texas for the Region 5 Tournament starting May 10.