NMMI Sports Press
Top NMMI pitcher Tegin Maloney picked up his team-leading sixth win of the season despite a few blunders and a game counterpart in Ruidoso hurler Gabriel Johnson in the early game, and the Colts rolled in Game 2, scoring early and often on the way to a run-rule victory.
Maloney allowed three runs, none earned, off five hits with no walks and eight strikeouts in an efficient, complete-game effort marred only by four hit by pitches.
“He ended the game with 84 pitches over seven innings, which is unheard of,” said second-year head coach Brad Blackwell. “Take away a few errors on defense and the game isn’t as close. But Tegan came out with his stuff, kept his count low and did what we needed him to do.”
Blackwell praised Johnson, a pitcher the Colts know well, for keeping the potent NMMI offense guessing during his five-strikeout performance over six innings.
“He’s been a good pitcher this year and last and we knew we’d be facing him today and he made us earn it,” said Blackwell. “Good arm to face before heading into the playoffs.”
The Warriors helped the Colts get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning when lead-off hitter Nicolas Barcenas scored on a passed ball, but NMMI returned the favor in the second, giving up two runs off an outfield error and passed ball.
Grant Maloney and Nicolas Barcelo started the bottom of the frame with back-to-back singles, but the Colts only managed to send one runner home as Caden Carter made up for his outfield mistake with a sac-fly to center to plate G. Maloney and tie the game at 2-2.
The next three innings belonged to the throwers as Maloney and Johnson each allowed a single hit through the third, fourth and fifth.
Another error cost the Colts a run in the sixth when Ruidoso star pitcher/shortstop Logan Sandoval led off the inning with a triple, was tagged out on an ensuing single at home plate by catcher Luis Patron, who heard someone yell “TWO!” and came up throwing with nobody covering second base, allowing Carson Straton to trot home for a 3-2 lead.
With Johnson approaching the 80-pitch mark and facing the NMMI order for the third time, the Colts strung together three singles to take the lead and added an insurance run off an infield error by the Warriors.
Javier Yepiz started the rally with his first hit of the game, followed by a sharp grounder to right from T. Maloney to plate Yepiz. Patron singled the opposite direction to bring T. Maloney in to tie it, then G. Maloney reached on the error as Patron tacked on the fifth run.
T. Maloney hit the first Warrior in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a single, but ended the threat with a strikeout and a couple easily-handled grounders.
Between games NMMI honored its four seniors — Patron, Humberto Valdes, Bernardo Teran and team manager and statistician Ashlynn Irish. Patron and Valdes were also members of the 2023-24 Colt Soccer team that won the state championship. Irish was selected to play in the state volleyball all-star game.
Game 2 was all Institute, as four Colts had multiple hits, including another hard-hitting performance from G. Maloney who went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two batted in, with no Ks and a walk. The sophomore from Roswell has been on an absolute tear over the past two weeks with 15 hits and 19 RBIs.
“Grant’s leading our team hits in hits and RBIs, he’s up there for average and doubles, just really seeing the ball well right now,” said Blackwell. “He’s a sophomore but he’s playing like a senior and he’s been dominant in that four-five hole all year.”
The Colts cleaned up their defensive issues in the second game, committing no errors and getting two spectacular outfield plays from center fielder Nicolas Barcenas, one rushing in for a diving catch and the other an over the shoulder snag near the wall.
Barcenas is known to his teammates and coaches as “Gato,” a fitting nickname for a long, agile player with great instincts and cat-like reflexes.
“If the ball’s hit anywhere, he’s going to go get it,” said Blackwell. “In my humble opinion, he’s the best center fielder in 3A baseball, maybe even 4A or 5A. He’s a leader out there, been great for us the past two years and when you see a ball head his way, you just have all the confidence in the world that it’ll be an out.”
Richard West tossed five innings of one-hit baseball, allowing a single run with two walks and five Ks. G. Maloney sat the Warriors down in order in the sixth with seven pitches.
“Richard keeps getting better. His confidence is up, he pitches to contact and knows he has a good defense behind him,” Blackwell said. "He’s been our guy without Javier in there lately and he’s definitely earned the spot.”
The Colts must now wait for the state to release the playoff bracket and find out whether they will earn a first-round bye with a top 4 placement, or host a three-game series next weekend. Last year, the Colts also finished second in the district by one game and still earned the No. 2 seed.
“I think it will be a three, but could be a two or four, so we’ll have 12 days off,” Blackwell said. “Of course we’re going to practice, but we’ll also implement some more team bonding activities. We want them focused and prepared, on the same page with each other, but we also want them to enjoy the experience. It’s baseball, it’s supposed to be fun.”
The Colts should know their playoff destiny by 6 p.m. Sunday afternoon.