By: Justin Hargrove, NTCC Assistant Athletic Director
Northeast Texas Community College finally returned home to the friendly atmosphere of the NTCC campus for a double header against TCS Post Grad Academy and came away with two wins. NTCC took game one in extra innings as Brian Juarez hit a walk-off homerun to left-center field to seal the victory 4-3. In game two, the Eagles would get the shut-out with a 7-0 victory.
The first inning of game one would see both squads score a run to keep things close at 1-1. TCS Post Grad would take the lead in the top of the fourth inning adding another run to go up 2-1 after a solo homerun to right field. The Eagles answered right back in the bottom of the fourth when Alex Bruce hit a solo homerun to left field to even the game at 2-2. NTCC added one more run in the sixth to lead 3-2 before TCS made a comeback and tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh.
NTCC was unable to end it in regulation, but Brian Juarez hit homerun to left-center field to earn the walk-off victory for the Eagles in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Harrison Gaienne got the start on the mound for NTCC striking out four while giving up two runs on four hits over four and two-thirds innings of work. Chance Bolter came in to relieve Gaienne and later gave way to Camden Sargent who pitched the final one and two-thirds innings striking out four more batters to pick up the win.
Game two of the day started as a pitchers duel for the first few innings before NTCC got on the board in the third inning Cole Modgling hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Isaac Rivera who had reached via a walk.
The Eagles would add three more runs in the fourth inning to go up 4-0 when Jacob Rosales led things off with a triple to center field. Rosales would score along with Nico Baumbach, and Brian Juarez during the fourth inning. Those same three would all reach home plate in the fifth inning as well to give the Eagles the final 7-0 lead.
The pitching staff of Sawyer Smallwood, Tyler Jeans, Kaleb Wisnoski, and Lance Pena would combine to strike out eleven while only walking one and allowing just two hits in the game two shutout.
NTCC will return to the field Friday, March 6th at Navarro College and play at home on Sunday, March 8th with a double header starting at 1:00pm.