Peter Dindinger – NMMI Sports Press
After winning the first two games of the series, the New Mexico Military Institute Bronco baseball team dropped the final two games to Frank Phillips College on Saturday evening at NMMI Ballpark.
The Plainsmen swept the doubleheader by the scores of 4-3 and 14-8.
In Game 3, NMMI took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third after a pair of RBI singles by Cam Stevenson and Rudy Solis, and an error by the Frank Phillips third baseman.
Frank Philips rallied for four runs off a pair of two-run homers by Yadier Medina and Richard Witherspoon in the top of the sixth.
Jorge Garcia tossed five scoreless innings for NMMI as he allowed seven hits in a complete game with four strikeouts.
The Broncos tallied seven hits.
Solis finished 2 for 3 with a single, double and an RBI while Stevenson went 2 for 4 with a pair of singles.
Victor Jimenez, Mario Chacon, Edwin Martinez Pagani and Guillermo Borquez all had one hit apiece.
NMMI found itself in a hole to start Game 4 as it trailed 8-0 in the top of the third.
The Plainsmen had six hits in the big inning. Preston Mills highlighted the rally with a two-run home run.
Frank Phillips tacked on six more in the fifth to extend their lead to 14-0. Seven hits were scattered in the offensive surge.
Witherspoon had a clutch two RBI double in the inning.
The Bronco offense then came to life in the bottom half of the fifth.
Aided by two home runs by Gavon Clemons and Ryan Flake and an RBI double from Solis, NMMI pushed across seven runs on four hits and three walks.
Down by seven, the Broncos tried to put together a late rally but all they could muster was one run in the seventh that was scored on a throwing error by the catcher.
NMMI was out hit 17-9.
Solis went 2 for 5 with two doubles and an RBI while Clemons finished 2 for 5 with a single and two RBIs.
Borquez had a single and two RBIs to go 1 for 5.
Ty Villareal allowed seven earned runs off eight hits in 2.2 innings of work.
Jaydon Stephens, Albert Oliva Velez and Tristan Copeland relieved the final 5.4 frames by allowing nine hits and six earned runs.
Copeland tallied seven strikeouts to give the bullpen nine for the game.
NMMI hosts Clarendon College for a four-game series beginning Friday at noon.