By: Justin Hargrove, NTCC Assistant Athletic Director
Weather once again forced Northeast Texas Community College baseball (5-7) to head out on the road to face and opponent at a neutral site. NTCC headed to Fort Worth, Texas to meet up with Hutchinson Community College from Kansas. The Eagles would fall in game one 6-1, and Hutchison just squeaked out a win in game two, 9-8.
In game one action, both pitchers kept the hitters at bay for the first three innings before Hutchison got on the board with four runs in the fourth inning. NTCC would answer back when Jacob Rosales doubled to begin the fourth inning and later scored on an error off the bat of Isaac Rivera. The Eagles were limited to two hits in game one action.
Hayden Shaddox was on the mound in game one for NTCC and looked sharp for the first three innings before Hutchison got to him in the fourth. Shaddox would give up four runs on five hits and strike out five in three and two-thirds innings work. Harrison Gaienne, Tyler Jeans, and Kaleb Wisnoski would each see time in relief in game one.
Game two saw much more offense from both teams from the start. Hutchison got on the board in the first inning plating two runs in the first, two runs in the second, and four runs in the third before NTCC could slow them down.
The Eagles did answer back in the first inning, scoring 3 runs of their own. Cody Cleveland would reach on a double with one out and later scored on a single by Nico Baumbach. Baumbach also plated Jacob Rosales would had walked. Baumbach would score the third run of the inning when Isaac Rivera singled to left-center field.
NTCC would have a big seventh inning as well, scoring four runs to cut the lead to 9-7. Cody Cleveland was hit by the pitch to lead off the seventh, and used his speed to move around the bases with a stolen base and advancing on a passed ball. Baumbach would pick up two more RBI’s when he singled to center field scoring Cleveland and Jacob Rosales who again walked. Khalon Clayton would hit a two run homerun to add to the comeback effort.
Mikel Howell started game two for the Eagles giving up three runs on three hits and striking out three in one and two-thirds inning of work. Sawyer Smallwood, Chance Bolter, Justin Lambright, and Camden Sargent would all see time on the mound and help the Eagle pitchers record 14 strikeouts in game two. The Eagle defense was plagued with seven errors in game two.
