Karen Boehler
CCSR writer/editor
Bronco Josh Loera gets ready to tag a sliding Bryer Mueller in the second inning of Game 1 Sunday. Mueller stole the base, but was stranded when pitcher Chris Morgan got the next three batters.
(CCSR photo by Steve Notz)
The Bronco bats remained almost as cold as the outside temperature Sunday, but NMMI capitalized on some mistakes by Trinidad State Junior College to split with the Trojans, winning Game 1 2-1 before falling 7-2 in the nightcap.
The windy, chill temperatures had batters on both squads struggling early.
Bronco starter Chris Morgan had a stellar five innings, facing only one over the minimum — a single by Bryer Mueller — while striking out seven.
NMMI stranded a solo runner in each of the first two innings, then, in the third, took advantage of Trinidad mistakes.
After Trojan starter David Henrie got the No. 8 and 9 batters on groundouts, he hit Ulisses Marrujo.
Blake Thomsen singled, and a throwing error by third-baseman Mueller loaded the bases. Jake Martin was then hit by a pitch, forcing in Marrujo and giving the Broncos a 1-0 lead.
NMMI held on to that tenuous edge through Morgan’s stint on the mound, but because the sophomore is recovering from Tommy John surgery, he has limited time on the mound.
Javier Sanchez came in in relief and had a tough start.
Sanchez walked Gavin Purvis then gave up a single to leadoff Trojan Colin Bailey. It looked like the Broncos would get out of the inning unscathed when Sanchez struck out the next two, but he followed that with a pair of walks, tying the game at 1-1, before ending the inning on another strikeout.
As NMMI came to bat in the bottom of the seventh, something had to happen or the game would go into extra innings.
And it did.
Brandon Miller grounded out and Josh Loera struck out swinging against Trojan Joey Capistran. But catcher Wade Beauvais dropped the ball and Loera was safe on second when the ball rolled to the backstop.
Marrujo then singled, advancing Loera to third and Thomsen was intentionally walked. Roman Alfaro then struck out, but a bobble by Trojan shortstop Adam Anderson allowed Marrujo to score and NMMI to get the win.
“It was a tough day to hit. A little cold,” said Trinidad assistant coach Matt Cover. “Usually the advantage goes to the pitchers.”
And he said it wasn’t just the final error that gave his team the loss.
“There were a few things that could have gone differently. It wasn’t just one thing,” the pitching coach said.
Sanchez (1-0) got the win and Capistran (0-1) the loss, and the lack of hitting showed in the stats: NMMI managed seven hits in seven innings while Trinidad had only two.
Game 2 wasn’t nearly as good for NMMI, as the Broncos couldn’t hit, and when they did, ran themselves off the bases through six innings.
Starter Jacob Nieto went 3-1/3 innings, giving up all seven of Trinidad’s runs, five of which were earned.
The Trojans jumped out early on two singles and a triple to go up 2-0 after one, then made it 3-0 on a single, walk, stolen base and single.
But the fourth inning was the blow from which NMMI couldn’t recover.
Nieto gave up a triple and a walk, then a throwing error by second baseman Jamie Vargas made it 4-0.
Two walks and a fielder’s choice ended Nieto’s tenure, but before striking out the final two, reliever Martin hit a batter and Trinidad was up 7-0.
NMMI stranded runners in the first, second and third, then went down 1-2-3 in the fourth.
The fifth looked promising when Luis Maldonado singled and pinch hitter Donald Fennel was hit.
But J.P. Parra hit an infield fly, and on what appeared to be a mental mistake, both Maldonado and Fennel took off running, with Maldonado tagged out by the second baseman and Fennel caught between bases for a very rare triple play.
The Broncos finally scored in the seventh on a bunt by Ben Chavez, a walk to Vargas, a squib hit by Miller and a balk by pitcher Josh Newman that scored Chavez. Loera walked, then a fielder’s choice to Marrujo scored Vargas, but that was all the Broncos could manage.
Javier Sanchez got the win for NMMI in Game 1 Sunday.
(CCSR photo by Steve Notz)
Loran Carosella (1-0) got the win for Trinidad while Nieto (1-1) took the loss.
Cover said his team was happy to head home with three wins.
“We accomplished a goal, winning the series here,” he said. “But we still want to improve that when they come to our place.”
Bronco assistant coach Robert Nordoff echoed some of what head coach Brit Simmermacher said the prior day.
“We’ve just got to play baseball like we’re taught every day in practice, and bring that to the field every day,” he said. “We have the tendency to play in spurts. It’s a long baseball season, and the team that’s going to win is the team that can play consistently throughout the 56-game season. If we can bring that kind of team to the table every day then put that kind of team in the lineup, we’re going to be successful.”
He stressed that his pitching staff is young, and still needs to learn, especially to hit the strike zone.
“If our pitching staff can learn they’ve got a good defense behind them and attack the strike zone, they’re going to see success,” he said. “Individually and as a team, we’ve found that it affects us offensively as well. It keeps the tempo of the game up for us. Defense tend to make plays when the pitchers attack the zone and throw strikes. Team morale is up in the dugout. Defensive and offensive play gets a lot better.”
NMMI won’t have much time to rest up and practice what their coaches are preaching.
The Broncos (3-8) face the Wayland Baptist junior varsity Tuesday beginning at 1 p.m., then host Dodge City (Kans.) Community College for three games before heading out on an almost month-long road trip.
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