Peter Dindinger – NMMI Sports Press
DOUGLAS, Ariz. – Escaping the frigid temperatures, the New Mexico Military Institute Bronco baseball team headed west to take on the Cochise College Apaches for a doubleheader Saturday.
The Broncos were held to three hits in Game 1.
Gavon Clemons hit a three-run home run in the top of the first and Albert Oliva Velez hit a leadoff solo homer in the fifth to highlight NMMI's scoring.
NMMI was able to hold on for a 4-0 victory in seven innings.
The Cochise pitching staff recorded 26 strikeouts in the twin bill as they frustrated the Bronco offense.
"The only negative offensively for us in both games was just the strikeouts," NMMI head coach Chris Cook said. "We pitched it well, took advantage of all the ground balls they hit to us."
In the second game, the Apaches brewed up a no-hitter that was broken up in the top of the seventh when Mario Chacon reached on an infield single.
Chacon was NMMI's first baserunner since Victor Jimenez reached base after being hit by a pitch in the second.
The Broncos (6-0) were trailing 4-0 until they scored three runs in the seventh. Velez hit a two-RBI single and Rudy Solis crossed the plate after Tristan Copeland reached first on a dropped third strike.
Cochise (4-2) increased its lead to two runs after Ethan Silcox scored on an NMMI miscue in the bottom of the seventh.
Solis delivered a clutch two-RBI single in the eighth to tie the game at 5-5.
An error by Cochise allowed Derek Vanasse to put the Broncos ahead by one run in the eighth. Pitcher Robert Loya shut down the Cochise bats as he allowed one hit in two innings of work with three strikeouts.
NMMI tallied six hits in the final game. Chacon had two singles to go 2 for 4 while Edwin Martinez Pagani, Velez, Clemons and Solis all hit one single apiece.
In Game 1, Megumi Fakuda struck out three batters in 4.1 innings while allowing six hits. Relievers Henrique Date and Ty Villareal combined for three strikeouts in the shutout.
NMMI's defense worked the pitchers out of a few jams in Game 1.
Cam Stevenson had a key double play in the fifth after he caught a fly ball and threw a strike to Jimenez who applied the tag to a runner tagging up from third.
The infield had executed a 4-6-3 double play in the previous inning as Cochise threatened to score with the bases loaded.
NMMI is slated to take on Luna Community College for a pair of doubleheaders Feb. 20-21, Saturday and Sunday, at Robert Ryan Field in Seminole, Texas.
"Nothing to complain about going on the road and winning a couple games. We got to clean some stuff up in order to make it as deep as we'd like to make it," Cook said.