NMJC outlasts Odessa College, wind in non-WJCAC contest
Teams combine for 23 runs, 30 hits
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 2 |
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0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 19 | 3 |
HOBBS, N.M. — With winds blowing straight out at 25 mph with 35 mph gusts, there was no question the bats were going to have a decided advantage in New Mexico Junior College's matchup with Odessa College on Wednesday at Ray Birmingham Thunderbird Field.
In the end it was the Thunderbirds' bats that won out as they pounded 17 hits (six for extra bases) and outlasted the Wranglers 14-9 in a non-conference matchup to win their fourth game in a row and seventh out of their last eight.
NMJC (27-12) used a seven-run third inning capped by an Angel Vega three-run home run to left to pull ahead of Odessa 7-4.
The Wranglers (21-18) rallied and scored four in the top of the fourth – highlighted by a two-run, go-ahead homer by Jaime Bustamante – to retake the lead at 8-7.
The T-Birds wouldn't trail for long as Zac Sanders opened the bottom of the fourth by hitting the first pitch he saw over the fence to tie the game 8-8.
Later in the inning Jacy Cave ripped a double to left to score Luis Pintor and Branden Grieger to give the T-Birds the lead for good at 10-8.
From there, NMJC's pitching took over despite the windy conditions. Left-hander Colby Price tossed 3 1/3 innings in relief and gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits with one strikeout and no walks while Blake Walden and Brett Worthen each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the Wranglers.
Price picked up the victory to move to 2-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 4.30.
At the plate three NMJC players had three hits apiece while two more had two hits each. Sanders finished 3-for-5 with a home run, double, two RBI, three runs and a stolen base, Grieger was 3-for-5 with a double, RBI and three runs, Pintor was 3-for-4 with an RBI, two runs and a stolen base, JP Rousseau was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs and Austin Botello was 2-for-4 with an RBI and run.
Ramon Arguelles picked up the loss, going 2/3 of an inning and giving up three runs on four hits.
Owen Spiwak led Odessa, going 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs while Bustamante, Hunter Douglas and Jorin Van Amstel all homered in the game for the Wranglers.
NMJC – which is 15-5 in WJCAC play and leads Howard and Midland by a game and Odessa by three games – begins a four-game series with New Mexico Military Institute on Friday in Roswell.
