No. 19 T-Birds rally to beat Vernon in Abilene

ABILENE, Texas — The 19th-ranked New Mexico Junior College baseball team was staring right at a loss as the Thunderbirds trailed Vernon College 13-6 heading into the eighth inning Wednesday in Abilene, Texas.

However, NMJC scored two in the eighth and five in the ninth – highlighted by a game-tying Luis Pintor home run with two outs – before Travon Benton's RBI single in the 10th sealed a come-from-behind 14-13 victory.

The T-Birds (4-5) began their rally in the eighth when a Zak Felix two-out single scored Terance Barela and Pintor to make it 13-8 Vernon.

After Trenton Rousseau threw an inning of scoreless relief in the bottom of the eighth, Branden Grieger hit a one-out RBI double to left to score Jacy Cave to make it 13-9.

NMJC was down to its last out when Jimmy Cubillos singled to right to score Grieger and make it 13-10 with two on and two out.

That's when Pintor blasted his third home run of the contest for a game-tying, three-run home run to make it 13-13.

NMJC closer Brett Worthen tossed a scoreless ninth to send the game to extra innings.

JP Rousseau started the 10th with a double to right, and after an NMJC strikeout, Benton singled to left to score Rousseau and give the T-Birds a 14-13 advantage.

Worthen closed the door as the La Cueva graduate retired the side in order to pick up his first win of the season to go along with his three saves. In five innings pitched, the sophomore Worthen has surrendered no runs, one hit and struck out 11 – including four in two innings of work Wednesday.

Pintor – listed at 5-foot-6 and 155 pounds – paced the T-Birds at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three home runs, six RBI and four runs. Pintor became the fourth player in NMJC history with at least three homers in a game. Jim Bailey hit four in a game against Odessa in 1998 while Alexis Zapata (1994) and Jason Columbus (2001) each hit three in a game.

Grieger was 3-for-6 with a home run, double, three RBI and a stolen base for NMJC as well while Cubillos, Benton and Felix each had two hits.

Brandon Stone picked up the loss for Vernon, going 1 2/3 innings and giving up three runs on four hits.

Josh Timms paced Vernon at the plate, going 3-for-6 with two home runs and six RBI.

There were a combined eight home runs hit in the contest – four by each team.

NMJC returns home to start a four-game series against Trinidad State 3 p.m. Friday.