NMMI Sports Press
The Colt baseball team topped the Eunice Cardinals in a non-district matchup at home on Tuesday evening.
Both teams were hot at the plate as they combined for 26 runs in the game, with NMMI earning 18 of those on 12 hits.
The Cards started off the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first on two hits and a walk.
NMMI quickly responded, thanks to a leadoff triple to center field by Francisco Rivera, followed by a Gavin Maloney blast over the fence in right center, making the score 2-2 with just one out in the inning.
After a hit-by-pitch and walk, Gunnar Schwab singled to right center field, scoring Jake Leible and advancing Alejandro Lopez advanced to third.
Up next at the plate was Gus Curnutt. He singled to on a line drive to the shortstop, scoring Schwab and Lopez, making the score 5-2 at the end of the first.
Eunice answered with a three spot in the second, knotting the score at 5s.
In the bottom half, Rivera singled on a line drive to right field and advanced to second on an error by the right fielder.
Maloney then doubled to center and scored Rivera. He eventually scored on a fielder’s choice by Andres Bleizeffer, who in turn scored after a walk given up to Alejandro Lopez, and another RBI single by Schwab.
NMMI led 8-5 going into the top of the third, but again, Eunice responded with a two run inning cutting the lead to just one, 8-7.
NMMI’s next run came after a Cardinal error, two consecutive walks and a hit by pitch. Then with two on, Lopez smacked an opposite-field triple, scoring Alejandro Barcenas and Maloney. Lopez later crossed the plate on a wild pitch to give the Institute a 12-7 advantage at the end of three.
In the top of the fourth, Eunice was set down in order for the only three-up, three-down half inning in the game.
The Colts exploded for five hits and six runs in the bottom of the fourth, setting the stage for the run-rule victory, up 18-7.
The Cards did manage one final run in the top of the fifth, but couldn’t bring another runner in from third to extend the game.
Bleizeffer got the win for the Institute bringing his record to 2-0 on the year. He threw two innings, gave up five runs on five hits. Lopez pitched the next 2.2 for the hold, allowing two hits and three runs (two of which were earned). Luke Taylor took the mound for the final out, allowing a single hit and no runs.
Schwab, Lopez, Curnutt, Rivera, and Maloney all managed multiple hits for NMMI, with Schwab going 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Colts in hits
Up next for NMMI is District 4-4A opponent Ruidoso. The three-game, two-day series will be held at NMMI on the 12th and 13th of April. The first pitch for both days is scheduled for 4:00 PM, with a single game slated on Thursday and a doubleheader on Friday.