NMMI Sports Press
The Bronco Baseball team opened the 2023 season with two exciting victories over the visiting Trinidad State Trojans Saturday at NMMI Ballpark.
In game 1, NMMI came back from a three-run deficit with a pair of runs in the final two innings to edge the Trojans 4-3. In game 2, the offense took off as the Broncos mercy-ruled their opponents 10-0, ending the seven-inning game in the bottom of the sixth.
Sophomore righty Marc Rios started the first game for the Broncos, going four and a third innings, allowing three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Trinidad scored all three of their runs in the top of the second inning, including a two-out two-run homer by Cris Moreno, but Rios recovered and got Jose Ayala to watch strike three cross the plate to end the inning.
The Bronco defense helped Rios keep the Trojans off the scoreboard until his pitch count was exhausted, at which point sophomore relief pitcher Leandro Tamaki entered the game and effectively shut down the Trinidad offense.
Tamaki pitched the final two and two-thirds innings, allowing no runs on a single hit, striking out two and walking one.
The Broncos began their comeback in the bottom of the sixth with a single by sophomore outfielder Fran Gross. Sophomore second baseman Rhett Stokes, a local product, drove in the first run of the season for NMMI on a hard ground ball to right field.
Trinidad changed pitchers, but the hits kept coming as another local player, sophomore first baseman Own Alsup hit one hard to left field, plating Stokes and putting NMMI just a run behind at 3-2.
Tamaki and the defense sat the Trojans down in order in the top of the seventh and in the bottom the Broncos picked up the pace as sophomore outfielder Willie Borquez lead off with a single and freshman outfielder Adonis Bernal reached on an error before Gross hit an RBI single.
Trinidad relief pitcher Connor Peck then tossed two balls to Stokes before hitting him, loading the bases with one out for sophomore shortstop B.Y. Choi. But Choi wouldn't have to do much, as the new pitcher for the Trojans balked, walking in the winning run for the Broncos.
"We got off to a little bit of a slow start," said Bronco head coach Chris Cook. "I think confidence was a little shaky in that first game, but the reality is that the kid they started was really good. Sometimes it's just a matter of working until you can get that starter off the mound and then we were able to come away with some runs."
Cook was pleased with the way his pitchers battled after going down three runs early in the game.
"Marc threw well, but his pitch count got a little elevated and he had the one little hiccup on the mound," Cook said. "But he kept it close and then Tamaki came in in a tough situation and just kept the score there and gave us a chance to come back late. And you could feel it in the next game. We grabbed the momentum and they were still kind of reeling from it."
Stokes and Gross each went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the first game.
In the second game, the Broncos scored early and often on the way to a mercy-ruled 10-0 win.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jackson Peters struck out five and didn't allow a baserunner on any of his 71 pitches over five innings. Freshman righty Yuki Shigeyasu took care of the sixth inning, allowing a single hit and striking out one.
"Peters came out and just really commanded his stuff," Cook said. "He was what I would call more effectively wild, but he kept his pitch count manageable to get through the fifth inning. That was his first collegiate start and he threw a no hitter through five, so that's very encouraging to see."
The Broncos racked up nine hits in game 2: Sophomore outfielder Edrien Martinez went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored; Choi was 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored; freshman designated hitter Jun Hyuk Kwon went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs; Freshman third baseman Luis Lizarraga drew three walks and Gross drove in four runs, including his three-run bomb to right field in the second inning.
NMMI and Trinidad play two more seven inning games starting at noon tomorrow (Sunday, Jan. 29).