Four HRs, solid pitching helps T-Birds take two from Plainsmen

HOBBS, N.M. — The New Mexico Junior College baseball team continued to display its somewhat surprising display of power while getting a pair of solid outings from its starters in sweeping a doubleheader from Frank Phillips College 7-5 and 9-4 Saturday at Ray Birmingham Thunderbird Field.

The Thunderbirds (22-11, 12-4) clubbed four more home runs (including a pair of key three-run homers in the fifth inning of game two) to propel them to victory. Overall NMJC smacked seven home runs while taking the four-game series 3-1 as the T-Birds have hit 36 homers in 33 games – something NMJC coach Josh Simpson didn't expect to see from his team before the season started.

"I was way off I guess – I doubted our ability to drive baseballs," Simpson said. "It's something that this team does better than any team I've coached here regardless of it being the dead-ball, dead-bat era. We are starting to figure out some things offensively. ... We are learning in a hurry and it's awesome to see."

NMJC in game two found itself down 4-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth before three straight runners reached – capped by a JP Rousseau infield RBI single – cut the Frank Phillips (8-19, 6-10) lead to 4-3.

Luis Pintor followed with a go-ahead three-run homer over the right-center field wall to give NMJC a 6-4 advantage. It was the 5-foot-6 freshman's seventh homer of the year.

But the T-Birds weren't done in the inning.

After a pair of strikeouts, Jacy Cave doubled and Angel Vega walked to put two runners on for left-handed hitting Austin Botello – who already had homered in the game.

Frank Phillips went to its bullpen for a lefty, but it didn't work. Botello crushed a first-pitch hanging breaking ball over the right field wall for a three-run homer (his sixth on the season) to make it 9-4 NMJC.

It was more than enough for NMJC's Fernando Fernandez-Beltran as the sophomore went six innings and gave up four runs (two earned) on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks.

"I challenged Fernando after the first inning after he gave up those runs," Simpson said. "You know what? He accepted the challenge. When a player does that, it's awesome."

Roberto Delgado (two innings) and Trenton Rousseau (one inning) did the rest, shutting down the Frank Phillips offense by giving up just two hits while striking out five over the final three innings.

Cave and Zac Sanders each finished 3-for-4 to lead NMJC with Sanders picking up two doubles and a triple. Botello was 2-for-4 with the two home runs and four RBI.

Jason Lott got the loss for the Plainsmen, going 4 2/3 innings and giving up eight runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Taylor Grady led Frank Phillips at the plate, going 3-for-4.

In the first game, NMJC scored in each of the first four innings to build a 7-2 lead and held on for the 7-5 victory.

Pintor went 3-for-4 with a triple, double and three RBI for the T-Birds, Cave was 2-for-3 with his team-leading 12th home run of the season while Rousseau was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs.

Blake Walden got the win for NMJC, going six innings and giving up five runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and no walks.

Brett Worthen picked up his 11th save of the season, going the final inning and picking up a strikeout.

Raul Baduel got the loss for Frank Phillips, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up seven runs on nine hits with a strikeout. Ethan Hillyer and Joey Silvas each went 2-for-3 for the Plainsmen.

NMJC sits tied with Midland for second in the WJCAC at 12-4, a game back of Howard College.

The T-Birds begin a series with Howard on Friday at home, but first play a non-conference contest 3 p.m. Wednesday at home against Midland.