Anthony Martinez rebounded from a rough start last weekend by getting the win in Game 1, going five innings, scattering four hits, zero runs and five strikeouts.
Karen Boehler
NMMI Sports Press
Cub Turcotte gets the handshake from coach Cook while rounding third base, after a three-run home run in Game 1.
ARTESIA — It was like night and day at Brainard Baseball Field in Artesia Saturday. After a rough start to the season a week ago, the Broncos swept by Otero Junior College 8-2 and 3-1 on the strength of pitching and power hitting.
“We pitched really well today,” said coach Chris Cook. “We’ve still got some cleaning up to do offensively. Played better so far this weekend, but we pitched really well. Threw a lot of quality strikes. Did a pretty good job of not allowing a lot of free bases and that kept us in the game.”
Game 1 was all NMMI, as the Institute took advantage of several of those “free bases,” scoring two runs in the first on two hit batters and two walks. The Broncos went up 4-0 in the third on a solo home run by Winston Welch, then Pancho Mariscal was hit, and came around on singles by Chris Suarez and Cub Turcotte.
Helmet bump at home for John Jensen, who hit a solo shot right after Turcotte’s dinger.
The big blow came in the fifth when Mariscal singled, Suarez walked and Turcotte sent a three-run home run over left center. John Jensen followed that with a solo shot, and it was 8-0 NMMI.
Bronco starter Anthony Martinez pitched five innings, giving up four hits while striking out five. Alex Garcia came in in relief in the sixth, allowing one Rattler run on a single, stolen base and error. James Santiago came in to wrap things up in the seventh, giving up the final run on a hit and error.
Game 2 was a lot closer, with NMMI drawing first blood in the second on a Welch double, wild pitch and sac fly by Justin Felix.
Justin Felix singles in the bottom of the fifth, Game 1, but gets tagged out trying to stretch it into a double.
Otero tied it at 1-1 in the top of the fourth when starter Kody Jones hit a batter, got two long outs then gave up a single. But that was all Jones — or relievers Preston Inman and Chris Suarez — would give up.
And the Institute made it 2-1 in the fourth when Howard and Welch each singled, Howard stole third then came home on a sacrifice fly. They added an insurance run in the eighth when Suarez reached on a single, Turcotte walked and Mariscal doubled him in.
Game 2 also featured an interesting starting pitching matchup between: NMMI’s Jones at 6-foot-11 and Otero JC’s 6-foot-7 pitcher Nick Kakavas, both left-handers. While interesting to see, Cook is happy with his starter.
Rattler Grant Templin caught in the pickle in Game 1, as NMMI’s Alex Howard (9) and Colby Brown (8) squeeze the box to get the out.
“I kind of expected to see him,” the coach said of Kavakas. “I didn’t know which game it would be. I’ll take ours over just about anyone in the country. I wish we could have got him a little better run support, but Preston pitched lights out and we got it to Suarez at the end. The bullpen was fantastic in Game 2. So that’s a plus.”
The big hitter in Game 1 was Turcotte, who went 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs and one run scored. In Game 2, it was Mariscal (3-for-4, 1 RBI) and Welch (3-for-4, 1 run.)
The only real nits Cook could find was in the Bronco small-ball game. They again left too many runners on base — 14 between the two games — and that number needs to be cut down.
“We’ve still got some small-ball stuff that we can work on,” Cook said. “That’s not our game necessarily, but we’ve still got to be able to execute it when games are close, and we had some opportunities in Game 2 that we missed. Some of it’s on me, some of it’s on them, but we’ve got to clean it up and that’s what the preseason’s all about. I know we’ve got guys who can drive the baseball. We’ve just got to make sure we’re taking those swings in the right counts; seeing the baseball well and we’ll get some results out of it. But I think we’re making some steps in the right direction.”
The Broncos are back in action Sunday, continuing the series vs. against Otero. Carlos Ortiz is expected to start Game 3 for NMMI, and Kyle Bosworth, who, Cook said, “pitched really well last weekend out of the pen,” starting Game 4.
