Walden remains perfect, leads Tbirds to series split with conference leading Midland

Midland, TEXAS

GAME 3

Midland was never able to get over the hump and get over its troubles against Blake Walden on Saturday, as the sophomore hurler from Lubbock kept the Chaps hitter off balance in leading the Thunderbirds to 6-4 victory.

Zac Sanders, Angel De Jesus, Luis Pintor and Jeff Deimling carried the load offensively combining for eight hits and five RBI's.  Sanders had three doubles.

Walden was effective on the mound on his way to his 8th with of the season. He allowed four runs over six inningsstriking out four, walked four and gave up seven hits.

Zach Murphy ended up on the wrong side of the pitching decision, charged with the loss. He lasted just 4 1/3 innings, walked three, struck out five, and allowed five runs.

The Thunderbirds stayed on top until the final out after taking the lead in the first, scoring one run on an RBI single by Deimling .

NMJC pushed across one run in both the third inning and the sixth. In the third, Pintor added a run on a solo home run.

One run in the bottom of the third helped Midland close its deficit to 2-1. A groundout by Rattai fueled Midland's comeback. Walden ended the inning by getting Braden Heyward to ground out.

NMJC tacked on another three runs in the fifth. Deimling singled, bringing home Larry Leithato start the inning. That was followed up by Sanders' double, plating Travon Benton.

GAME 4

NMJC Thunderbirds fell 12-11 to Midland on Saturday despite racking up 16 hits and 11 runs.

Eddie Varela, the game 1 winner in relief, took the look for the Thunderbirds lastingjust two innings.  He walked two and allowed five runs.

The Thunderbirds jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. A single by Jeff Deimling brought home Luis Pintor to start the scoring.

It didn't take long for Midland to answer as it scored three runs of its own in the first. Midland scored on an RBI single by Connor Beck and a two-run single by Branden Heyward.

One NMJC Thunderbirds baserunners came all the way around to score in each of the third, fourth, sixth, and eighth innings. In the third, NMJC Thunderbirds scored on an RBI single by Jimmy Cubillos, scoring Eddy Vasquez.

Midland scored one run of its own in the fourth.

After posting three runs in the fifth, the Thunderbirds again scored three in the seventh. In the fifth, they scored on a three-run home run by Deimling, scoring Travon Benton and Cubillos.

NMJC Thunderbirds got one-run rallies in the sixth inning and the eighth. In the sixth, NMJC Thunderbirds scored on a solo home run by Trent Herman.

Midland survived NMJC Thunderbirds 's surge and put up four runs of its own in the sixth. Midland scored on a two-run double by Rattai, a sacrifice fly by Connor Beck, and an error.

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