Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press
Braving the elements on a blustery and cold Sunday afternoon, the New Mexico Military Institute Bronco baseball team began a four-game series with the Otero Junior College Rattlers.
In Game 1, the Broncos broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning to come away with the 6-4 victory behind six hits and a win by relief pitcher Marc Rios.
It was a different situation in Game 2.
With the game deadlocked at 4-4, it was the Rattlers that rallied in the sixth by pushing across five runs to notch the 9-5 win to even up the series.
NMMI starter Megumi Fukuda had allowed just one hit through three innings as Game 1 was scoreless until the bottom half of the third.
After a leadoff single by Rhett Stokes, a walk by Guillermo Borquez and a single by Jesh Leckey, the Broncos scored their first run on a ground ball hit by B.Y. Choi.
The grounder resulted in a double play. Borquez later crossed home on a wild pitch to make the score 2-0.
Otero tied up the game in the top of fourth after scoring on a passed ball and a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the fifth, NMMI took a 3-2 lead on a fielder's choice by Leckey that drove in Edrien Martinez.
Choi was walked after a five-pitch at bat to load up the bases. Adrian Rubio worked a 3-1 count to draw a walk to increased NMMI's lead to two runs.
Rios tallied his first win of the season after tossing four innings allowing three hits and tallying four strikeouts.
Fukuda threw a two-hitter in three innings of work while he fanned four batters.
Leckey finished 1 for 3 with a single and an RBI while Rubio went 1 for 2 with a single and an RBI.
Stokes, Dylan Shea and Martinez all had a single to go a combined 3 for 6.
To start Game 2, NMMI took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Choi reached base on an error and later advanced to second on a wild pitch to setup the RBI single by Rubio.
The Rattlers tied up the game on an RBI single by Christian Castaneda in the third.
On three hits, the Broncos pushed across two runs to take a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Justin Romero hit an RBI double and Martinez hit a single into right field to drive in Romero to highlight the inning.
The tables turned in favor of Otero in the fifth as it took a 4-3 lead. Nolan Marthaler hit a two RBI double during the rally.
NMMI came back to tie the game with two outs in the bottom of fifth when Rubio singled to plate home Choi.
On two walks and five hits, the momentum shifted over to the Rattlers as they rallied for five runs in the top of the sixth to eventually solidify the victory.
Bronco starter Drew Price struck out eight batters while allowing one earned run and five hits in four innings.
Jackson Peters faced two batters allowing two earned runs.
Rubio and Leandro Tamaki relieved the final 2.3 innings as the duo gave up six earned runs on eight hits.
NMMI was out-hit 13-9.
Stokes hit a home run to finish 1 for 4. Rubio finished 3 for 4 with three singles and two RBI.
Leckey tallied a pair of singles to go 2 for 4. Choi, Romero and Martinez all went 1 for 3.
>> UP NEXT: The series concludes Monday, Feb. 7 with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
Game 1
NMMI 4, Otero Junior College 2 (7)
OTERO…….0002000 — 2 5 1
NMMI……..002020x — 4 6 0
Travis Farrell, Braden Martinez (5), Michael Cahill (5). Megumi Fukuda, Marc Rios (4). W — Rios. L — Martinez. 2B — Otero Junior College: Christian Castaneda. 3B — None. HR — None.
Game 2
Otero Junior College 9, NMMI 5 (7)
OTERO…….0010350 — 9 13 2
NMMI……..0102101 — 5 9 0
Maguire Wakelyn, Trey Hollis (5). Drew Price, Jackson Peters (5), Adrian Rubio (5), Leandro Tamaki (6). W — Hollis. L — Rubio. 2B — Otero Junior College: Joshua Pearl, Nolan Marthaler (2); NMMI: B.Y. Choi, Justin Romero. 3B — None. HR — NMMI: Rhett Stokes.
Records — Otero (1-1); NMMI (2-3).