On Friday afternoon, New Mexico Military dipped to 3-3 after dropping both games of the doubleheader versus Western Nebraska at the NMMI Ballpark. Taking both games, the Cougars open their season 2-0.
Game 1
After three scoreless innings to open the game, Western Nebraska opened the scoring in the fourth inning. With two outs and one runner on base, NMMI allowed back-to-back walks to load the bases. In the ninth-spot Tucker Deal cleared the bags with a triple as he gave the Cougars the initial 3-0 advantage.
In the home half of the sixth inning, Jose Rodriguez Mestre led off for NMMI, reaching base with a bunt to reach first before the throw. After stealing second base, Joek Rivera Colon notched his fifth RBI of the year with a hard hit ball to right field.
In the final inning, the Cougars were able to add two runs to their total. First a lead-off triple to open the inning. Matt Levesgue helped the runner cross home with a sac fly, which was followed by a homer off the bat of Jase Satterfield to give Western Nebraska a 5-1 lead. The Broncos attempted to respond but ended the first game with three consecutive groundouts.
Game 2
The Broncos opened game two with a blast. In the bottom half of the first inning, Rivera began with a lead-off double. Ericson Kim reached base on a hit by pitch six pitches later. After Yahir Fonseca Ortiz reached on a walk all the bases were loaded. Misael Maldonado Baez answered the call as he recorded his first collegiate homerun, drilling the ball over the fence to put the Broncos up 4-0 with a grand slam after the first inning.
The Cougars responded with a four-spot their next time up to knot the game at 4-4. Following a run less third frame, Western Nebraska posted another four-spot in the fourth inning with the help of an error, triple, walk and a double to take a 8-4 lead.
In the bottom half of the fourth inning, Ryan Alsup stood on first base after being walked. With two outs, Kim drilled his second homer of the season over the left field fence to make it an 8-6 ballgame after the fourth inning.
After back-to-back innings without a run, the Cougars were able to add to their lead in the seventh inning after being walk three consecutive at-bats. With the bags loaded, Ren Sato doubled, scoring two runners in the process. In the next at-bat, the Cougars scored again with a sacrifice groundout to hold a 11-6 lead.
In the home half, the Broncos responded with a pair of runs. With two outs, Baez hit an RBI double to score Hunter Martin who reached after being hit by a pitch to open the inning. Baez later scored with the help of a double by Seojun Oh to make it an 11-8 ballgame. In the eighth inning, the Cougars added to their lead as they held NMMI scoreless in the final two innings to take game two 12-8.
In game two, Misael Maldonado Baez finished 2-for-5 with five RBIs and one homer in the process. His other hit was a RBI double.
Head Coach Chris Cook on the setback, "The key in game two, was just seven of their 12 runs got on base by either walks, hit-by-pitches or errors. We just didn't pitch very clean in game two … offensively they just out-pitched our hitters," Cook said. With another doubleheader tomorrow there is still a series to be held, "It's frustrating to lose by that many runs but we'll make some adjustments and get back after it tomorrow.
The Broncos close out the series against Western Nebraska with a doubleheader tomorrow, Feb. 8 as first pitch for game one of the day is scheduled for 12 p.m. MST at the NMMI Ballpark.