By: Justin Hargrove, Assistant Athletic Director
With the weekend series with Cowley College canceled due to weather, Northeast Texas Community College picked up a home contest with Eastern Oklahoma State College on Monday, February 13th. The Eagles would take game one in dramatic fashion 5-4, Mountaineers would come away with the win in game two, 11-4.
Game one of the set was scoreless through four innings before Eastern Oklahoma got on the board in the top of the fifth with a two-run homerun to take a 2-0 lead. The Mountaineers would add one more in the top of the sixth to move the lead to 3-0.
NTCC would answer back in the bottom of the sixth to score three runs and tie the game at 3-3. Three walks would load the bases for Nathan Harmon (Flower Mound, Texas) and he would double to score two Eagles and bring the score to 3-2. Austin Rogers (Prosper, Texas), who had advanced to third on the double by Harmon, would score when Si Schumacher (Carthage, Texas) would ground out to first. The Eagles and Mountaineers were all tied up a 3-3 heading to the final inning of the seven-inning game.
Eastern Oklahoma scratched out a run in the top of the seventh to lead 4-3 but NTCC would no be denied in their half of the final frame. Carson Lorch (Cypress, Texas) would lead off with a single and advanced to second base when the next batter, Connor Chavez (Lantana, Texas) was hit by the pitch. Raef Wright would lay down a bunt and the Mountaineers tried to get the lead runner at third and overthrew the ball down the left field line allowing both runners to score to win the game in walk off fashion 5-4.
Pitching in game one for the Eagles were Austin Burda (Mansfield, Texas) with three innings pitched giving up just one hit and striking out one in his home start. Other Eagle pitchers seeing time were Dalton Hill (Minden, LA), George Austin (Dallas, Texas) and Mason Kosowick (Fort Worth, TX), who would pick up the win for NTCC.
In game two the Mountaineers got on the board first in the contest with a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and never looked back. The Eagles managed just four hits while Eastern Oklahoma’s bats got hot and had fifteen hits to plate eleven runs in the nine-inning game.
NTCC would get on the board in the second to cut the lead to 2-1. The Mountaineers picked up one run in the third, one run in the fourth and two in the fifth inning while keeping the Eagles at bay to move the lead to 6-1. Seth Cox (Fairview, TX) would blast a solo homerun to left field in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 6-3.
The Mountaineers would again score one run in the seventh, two in the eighth and the final two runs in the ninth inning. Down 9-2 in the bottom of the eighth NTCC tried to scratch their way back into the game with two runs scored when the lead off hitter Cale Edmonds (Risin, AR) was hit by a pitch. Cox walked with one out to but two Eagles on base. Camden Mitchell (Flower Mound, Texas) who had come in to run for Edmonds scored on a single by JP Mendoza (Kingwood, Texas). Seth Cox would score the final Eagle run when Anthony Capobianco (San Antonio, Texas) put grounded out to second.
Seven Eagle Pitchers combined to strikeout two Eastern Oklahoma State batters in game two of the contest.
The Eagles next home games are now scheduled to be Saturday, February 18th and Sunday, February 19th against Howard College. Saturday’s games will be a double header starting at 1:00pm and Sunday a single game starting at Noon.
For up to date schedules and ticket purchases you can go to www.ntcceagles.com or to purchase the tickets in advance download the Hometown Ticketing app to your smartphone.
