Thunderbirds find groove; Eliminate McLennan 12-3
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 15 | 0 |
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3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
Lubbock, TEXAS
Roberto Delgado had been in this situation before. The sophomore hurler had struggled in the first inning of games all season. Call it nerves. Call it anxiety. Call it whatever you want. At the end of the day, Delgado has heart.
NMJC was led by Delgado, to a victory over McLennan on Saturday, 12-3 in seven innings on the second day of the Region V Baseball tournament.
Delgado picked up his seventh win of the season after surrendering three runs in the first inning. After a leadoff single, Delgado hit the second batter and his very next offering was a wild pitch that allowed the McLennan runners to advance to second & third with no outs. A groundout to first held the runners but the cleanup hitter singled on a 1-1 pitch to give McLennan a 1-0 lead.
The next McLennan batter was issued a walk to load the bases and the sixth batter of the inning was hit be a Delgado offering which plated the second run of the inning.
A groundout to third gave gave McLennan a 3-0 lead and the Thunderbirds their second out of the inning. The ninth and final batter of the inning flied out to right to end the inning.
The Thunderbirds got on the board in the fourth pushing four runs across which was enough for Delgado as he struck out six and walked five in going the distance.
The Thunderbirds were led by a flawless day at the dish by Larry Leitha, who went 3-3 against McLennan's pitching. He tripled in the third inning and singled in the second and seventh innings. In the fifth, Leitha was hit in the head by a pitch which cracked his helmet. Two pitches later, Leitha stole second and advanced to third on the wild throw.
The game was never in doubt after the third, as NMJC Thunderbirds scored four runs on a groundout by Daniel Herrera and a two-run triple by Leitha.
The Thunderbirds tacked on another five runs in the seventh. Luis Pintor doubled, bringing home Herrera and Leitha to start the inning. That was followed up by Jeff Deimling's double, plating Angel De Jesus, Pintor and Travon Benton.
NMJC will play Sunday at 7:00 PM MST against the loser of Midland College and Grayson College.
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