T-Birds Drop Game 1 of Regionals to Grayson

The Thunderbirds fell 9-2 in the opening round of the Region V tournament to Grayson College.

NMJC will face NMMI in the loser's side of the bracket Saturday, May 11 at 10 a.m. CDT. The tournament is double elimination with tomorrow's winner staying alive in the quest for a Region V title.  

The T-Birds scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Christian Hoffman hit a line drive down the right field line and stretched the hit into a double. The throw by Grayson got away from second base and went into the outfield allowing Erick Ballenilla to score on the error. NMJC led after two innings 1-0.

Grayson responded with an RBI double to deep center field to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the third. Two more runners came across on sac flies to give the Vikings a 3-1 lead at the end of the frame.

Grayson added another run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single to right field that made the score 4-1.

The Thunderbirds had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the fifth because of two HBP and one walk. Leadoff batter Luis Urias came to the dish and flew out to shallow left field. Third baseman Brent Iredale was the next batter up for the T-Birds. Iredale worked his way to a full count, but a foul tip strikeout on the seventh pitch of the at-bat ended the inning.

The Vikings opened up the game in the top of the sixth with a 2-run homer on the eighth pitch of the at-bat to make the score 6-1.

The T-Birds had a great start to the bottom of the sixth inning stringing together three singles in four at-bats. Christian Hoffman laced a single to right field that should've scored Lane Arroyos, but the turf monster claimed him as a victim when he went around third. Arroyos still broke for home and was thrown out by a step, which slowed the momentum the Thunderbirds had built.

NMJC was able to salvage a run in the bottom of the sixth with a Travis Vlasek RBI double to left center. The T-Birds ended the bottom of the sixth down 6-2 after stranding another two runners.

Grayson put the game to bed in the top of the eighth when they brought across three more runs. The Vikings made it 9-2 with those runs in eighth, which proved to be the final score.

The Thunderbirds ended Friday afternoon's game with nine runners stranded on base.

Cade Smith was tabbed for the loss moving his record to 6-4 on the season. Smith went 5.1 innings allowing six earned runs and striking out five in the loss. Isaiah Arteaga came in relief of Smith and gave up three runs in two innings of work.

Right fielder Christian Hoffman went 2-for-3 with a double, a single, and a HBP.  DH Travis Vlasek went 1-for-4 with a double and the lone RBI on the day. Second baseman Erick Ballenilla was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

The Thunderbirds will play NMMI Saturday, May 11 at 10 a.m. CDT in Waco, Texas at Bosque River Ballpark.