Peter Dindinger – NMMI Sports Press
CLARENDON, Texas – On Day 1 of the Western Junior College Athletic Conference baseball tournament Friday afternoon, the New Mexico Military Institute Broncos went 1-1.
In Game 1, the Clarendon College Bulldogs (29-18) came from behind to defeat the Broncos 6-3.
Playing right after the tough loss, NMMI rebounded with a 12-1 victory in five innings to stay alive for one more day.
The Broncos (24-18) play the loser of the Odessa College-Clarendon game at 3 p.m. CDT Saturday.
"It's not what we had hoped but Game 1 was well pitched by both teams," said NMMI head coach Chris Cook. "I just felt like we swung through a lot of fastballs and that usually isn't us."
It was a classic pitcher's duel in Game 1 until the Broncos got on the board with a leadoff solo home run by Mario Chacon in the top of the fourth.
Chacon led off the top of the sixth with another solo homer to make the score 2-0.
The Bulldogs then scored with an RBI single by JC Reed in the bottom half of the sixth.
NMMI answered back in the next half inning when Guillermo Borquez doubled down the right field line to drive in a run.
With one swing of the bat, Clarendon cut the deficit to one run when Johnny Gomez homered to left center in the bottom of the seventh.
The Bulldogs rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth to flip the script and take a 6-3 victory. Chris Estrada hit a clutch three-run home run in the big inning.
NMMI starter Megumi Fukuda struck out 13 batters while allowing five hits and two earned runs in seven innings of work.
Tristan Copeland was handed the loss after allowing four earned runs in 2/3 of an inning.
The Broncos scattered seven hits in the game. Clarendon starter Alexis Saldana fanned 10 batters in 6.2 innings while allowing three earned runs.
Borquez and Chacon went a combined 4 for 9 with three RBIs.
It was a whole different ballgame in Game 2 as NMMI's offense erupted.
The Broncos had four home runs in the game.
Trailing 1-0 early in the bottom of the first, NMMI rallied for nine runs in the top of the second. Justin Lawrence hit a two-run blast to begin the big inning.
Henner Gonzalez Rodriguez then hit a solo homer before Rudy Solis drove in a run with a double to make the score 5-1.
Armando Ramirez Jr. finished off the inning with a three-run home run.
Ramirez Jr. came into the clutch once more in the top of the fourth when he hit a two-run home run.
Solis drove in the final run in the fifth with a double to plate home Edwin Martinez Pagani.
Jorge Garcia tossed a solid game, allowing just three hits while striking out seven batters in a complete game of work.
Ramirez Jr. finished 2 for 3 with five RBIs while Solis went 2 for 2 with a single, two doubles and two RBIs.
Martinez Pagani had a single and a double to go 2 for 3.
Odessa College advanced forward with a 21-1 win over Frank Phillips as it plays Clarendon at 12 p.m. CDT in the winner's bracket.
"Our backs are going to be against the wall tomorrow. The reality is (that) there is no tomorrow," Cook added. "We got to get into Sunday in order to go to the postseason. So, it's going to be a make or break game for whoever we play."