NMMI Sports Press

BIG SPRING, Texas — It was not a good day for the Bronco baseball team (17-5, 2-4) in Big Spring, Texas, Friday as the NMMI squad lost a pair to Howard Junior College, falling 5-4 on a walkoff in Game 1 then getting blown out 17-1 in the nightcap.

Game 1 started out on the bright side for the Institute, as Edwin Martinez Pagani opened the game with a single, then came home on a Rudy Solis double to center. Solis then came home on a pair of wild pitches, but despite a pair of walks, the Broncos struck out, leaving two runners on base.

Still, the NMMI lead looked good as Megumi Fukuda went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first and Martinez Pagani homered to left to make it 3-0 in the second.

Despite an error by third baseman Mario Chacon, Fukuda finished the second inning unscathed, but had a bit of trouble in the third, giving up one run on a double, balk and single, and a second on a single and two walks.

But the Institute pitcher settled down in the fourth, again going 1-2-3, then the Broncos made it 4-2 in the fifth on a Solis single and three walks by Hawk reliever Hunter Rosenbaum, in in relief for Kristopher Anglin.

The fifth, sixth and top of the seventh were all scoreless, but Fukuda hit the first batter he faced in the bottom of the seventh, then gave up a back-to-back triple and double tying the game at 4-all and sending him to the showers.

NMMI reliever Tristan Copeland hit the first batter he faced and walked the second, turning the ball over to Henrique Date. Date got the first out of the inning on a pop out in foul territory, but a line-drive single to center by Hawk Bernard Shivers gave Howard the walk-off victory.

Fukuda threw 102 pitches through six innings, allowing five runs, all earned, on seven hits. He struck our seven and walked three, getting his first loss (6-1) of the season.

The Broncos had only six hits in the game, three by Martinez Pagani, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Solis was 2-for-4 with two run and an RBI, and Cam Stevenson got the only other NMMI hit. Five Broncos walked and seven runners were stranded.

Game 2 was all Howard (19-9, 4-2.)

NMMI only managed three hits in the four-and-a-half inning game, getting two— and the only run — in the top of the fifth  when Ryan Flake and Guillermo Borquez each singled, advanced on a wild pitch and Flake came home on a ground out by Angad Takhar.

Borquez had two of the Bronco hits.

Meanwhile, Ethan Coombes went the distance for the Hawks, striking out six and walking six. Offensively, Howard scored four in the first, three in the second and three in the third off Jorge Garcia. Jaydon Stephens wrapped up the third with a ground out, but allowed seven more in the bottom of the fourth before Drew Graham wrapped up the action.

NMMI fielding didn't help the cause, as two Bronco errors made five of the runs unearned. 

The Institute will try again Saturday to get a victory over Howard, with Game 1 set for a noon CDT start time.