T-Birds bounce back, run rule Odessa twice

HOBBS, N.M. — Sophomore Austin Botello punctuated New Mexico Junior College's Sophomore Day with a bang as he hit a game-ending, three-run home run to complete a sweep of Odessa College on Saturday 12-2 and 11-2 at Ray Birmingham Thunderbird Field.

NMJC coach Josh Simpson said Saturday's performance was just what his team needed after the Thunderbirds were swept by Midland College in a four-game series last weekend and dropped from first to third place in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference.

"We needed this really, really bad," NMJC coach Josh Simpson said. "Last weekend was just one of those weekends where Midland did everything right and we didn't play very well at all. ... This group is resilient and I knew they could bounce back like this."

NMJC (33-16 overall, 21-9 WJCAC) turned a close contest in game two into a blowout with three runs in the sixth and four runs in the seventh – punctuated by the left-handed hitting Botello's deep home run to right field to make the final score 11-2 (the run rule is eight runs after seven innings).

It capped a 4-for-6 day at the plate for the Galveston, Texas, native as he had two home runs, a double, five RBI and five runs scored. He's now hitting .367 with nine home runs (second on the team) and 39 RBI (third on the team).

"They were throwing me breaking balls all game so I knew what I was looking for," Botello said of the final home run that ended the game. "That was it and I hit it. ... It's exciting – almost like a dream (to end my home career at NMJC with a home run). It's crazy. ...

"This is a big confidence booster for us. We are back on track. It was a good day."

Jean-Francois Dionne was solid on the mound for the T-Birds, going all seven innings and giving up two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks. The sophomore is now 5-3 on the season with a 3.83 ERA.

Every T-Bird in the starting lineup had a hit and scored a run, six players had an RBI and five players homered against Odessa (27-23, 18-12) in game two. Botello, Zac Sanders, Travon Benton, Jacy Cave and Angel Vega each homered in the game while Luis Pintor, Branden Grieger, Cave, Botello, Terance Barela and JP Rousseau each had two hits.

Scott Richards got the loss for Odessa, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up seven runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Goddard graduate Cody French was the only player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

In the first game after falling behind 1-0, the T-Birds quickly regained the lead with a two-out rally in the bottom of the first. Benton tripled to left and Cave singled him home to tie the game 1-1.

That's when Botello hit his first home run of the day, a two-run blast to right field to give the T-Birds a 3-1 lead and they wouldn't trail again during the 12-2, run-rule shorted victory.

Six players for NMJC recorded multiple hits with Cave going 3-for-3 with an RBI, three runs and a double. Barela was 2-for-3 with three RBI, Botello was 2-for-2 with two RBI, Grieger was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, Jeff Deimling was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Pintor was 2-for-3.

Mark Simon picked up the win for NMJC, going all five innings and giving up two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and a walk.

Logan Owens got the loss for Odessa, going 2 1/3 innings and giving up six runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

Hunter Douglas went 2-for-3 with a homer for the Wranglers while Owen Spiwak also hit a solo home run.

The two teams close out the four-game set 1 p.m. (CST) Sunday in Odessa. The T-Birds with two wins would be in a tie for second place in the WJCAC with Midland College – two games back of first-place Howard College.