NMMI Sports Press
The Broncos completed their first conference sweep of the season Sunday at NMMI Ballpark, and it couldn't have come at a better time, as the four wins over visiting Clarendon College broke a tie with Amarillo and gave NMMI sole possession of fourth place.
The top four teams from the Western Junior College Athletic Conference and the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference will meet in Weatherford for the NJCAA Region 5 Tourney. The Broncos now hold a three game lead over Amarillo with four games left to play.
"This was 100 percent what we needed. We still have to play well again next weekend on the road, but I think the momentum flipped in our favor last weekend at NMJC. We had them on the ropes three of the four games, and even though we lost three, we were feeling a bit better about where we were offensively."
After a six homerun performance on Saturday, just one ball left the park for the Broncos today, a three-run shot by freshman designated hitter Jun Hyuk Kwon, a replay of his 11th-inning, game-tying blast from Game 2.
But the Institute did plenty offensively, racking up 18 hits on the day on the way to an 8-0 win in the seven-inning game, and a 12-2 run-rule victory in five innings to finish the sweep.
The top of the lineup did most of the damage in the noon game Sunday, with Nebraska-commit Rhett Stokes going 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, future Dallas Baptist Patriot B.Y. Choi hitting 2-of-3 with an RBI and three runs scored, and West Texas A&M-commit Owen Alsup driving in two runs while going 2-for-3.
Stokes, the nation's leader in runs scored, kept up the hot hitting in the final game of the weekend, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while the bottom of the lineup stepped up to help Stokes end the game early in the bottom of the fifth.
Sophomore outfielder Fran Gross went 2-for-2 with an RBI and three runs scored, sophomore catcher Antonio Ramazzini was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
The Bulldogs had much less luck at the plate Sunday, as sophomore starting pitchers Jackson Peters and Demitrius DiMatteo made the most of their final home starts, shutting down a Clarendon squad that had grown accustomed to scoring double-digit runs over the last few weeks.
"Big outings for both of those guys. A lot of strikes thrown," said 11-year head coach Chris Cook. "There were a couple mistakes in the middle of the plate, but they did what we wanted – make them earn it, no free bases."
Peters didn't give up a run and allowed six hits over 5.2 innings, with six strikeouts and just two walks. Freshman reliever Dong Woon Yuk handled the final 1.1 innings, allowing no hits with one K.
DiMatteo gave up a homer in the second inning and a run-scoring single in the fourth, but kept the Bulldogs on their heels for most of the game, tossing 53 strikes out of 77 total pitches for a five-inning complete-game victory.
Cook said Sophomore Weekend couldn't have gone any better if you planned it, other than one little wrinkle.
"Adrian Ochoa didn't get to see an inning on the mound, but he was hot in the bullpen three different times, ready to come in, but we walked it off each time," Cook explained. "So he's our lucky charm down there in the bullpen."
The Broncos have one four-game series left, on the road in Big Spring, Texas against Howard College. The Hawks are currently 12-20 in conference play, fresh off a 1-3 weekend against WJCAC-leader NMJC.
But Cook said his squad won't overlook their final regular-season opponent.
"We're in control of our destiny, but that's a tough place to play and Howard is no slouch," said Cook. "We have a short week to prepare, but so do they."
This Bronco squad has already accomplished more than most past teams, winning 30 games for the first time with a chance to win 40 with a sweep next weekend. They will end the season with a winning record for the first time in decades.
The Broncos are seeking their third-ever trip to the regional tournament and second under Cook. The 1961 Broncos that featured two All-Americans in Roger Staubach and Gene Hardman were one win away from the NJCAA World Series.
This year's team could produce two All-Americans in Choi and Stokes.
"They've really set a high bar for future teams and I don't want to overstate it or speak for them, but I don't think these guys will ever forget the experience they've had, regardless of what happens this last weekend. However it ends, these sophomores have had a career here that they can really be proud of."
The Broncos meet the Hawks in Big Spring, Texas at noon Central Daylight Time (11 a.m. MDT) on Friday and Saturday.