Pictured: Andy Morgan, Head Baseball Coach
By: Justin Hargrove, Assistant Athletic Director
The Northeast Texas Community College Baseball team finally got on the field after a few weather-related cancellations on Sunday afternoon, traveling to Mena, Arkansas to take on Arkansas Rich Mountain Community College. The Eagles picked up two big wins to open the season taking down Rich Mountain 8-4 in game one and 12-2 in game two.
After falling behind 1-0 after two innings, the Eagles offense got going in the third inning scoring three runs in the third and three runs in the fourth to jump ahead 6-1.
Si Schumacher (Carthage, TX) got things going with a single in the top of the third and Carson Lorch (Cypress, TX) followed Schumacher up with a single and Sophomore Raef Wright (Burleson, TX) would single with one out to load the bases. Seth Cox (Fairview, TX) would start his big day off with a double to plate the first Eagle runs. Cox would go three for three with five RBI’s in game one.
The Eagles three runs in the fourth inning were aided by Nathan Harmon (Highland Village, TX) who started the inning off with a single, Lorch getting on base with a walk. Connor Chavez (Lantana, TX) doubled to score Harmon and Lorch and then he was able to score on a double by Cox.
After the Eagles added another run in the top of the fifth to increase the lead to 7-1, the Bucks of Rich Mountain would get on the board again in the fifth with two runs to cut the lead to 7-3 after five innings of play. Both teams would add a run in the sixth inning to bring the final score of NTCC 8 and Rich Mountain 4.
On the mound for the Eagles in Game 1 were Austin Burda (Mansfield, TX), Mason Kosowick (Fort Worth, TX), Dalton Hill (Minden, LA), and George Austin (Dallas, TX). They Eagle pitching staff held the Bucks to four runs on nine hits, with eight strikeouts and just one walk.
In game two action NTCC jumped out early with five runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back. Austin Rogers (Prosper, TX) would lead the Eagle offensive efforts in game two going three for five with six RBI’s and scoring three times himself.
The Eagles would be patient at the plate and earned eleven walks in the game to go along with seven timely hits. The plate discipline paid off and the Eagles added a run in the fourth to increase the lead to 6-0.
Rogers would hit his first of two homeruns in the game in the sixth inning to push the Eagle lead to 7-0.
Rich Mountain would score once in the bottom of the sixth and once in the bottom of the seventh to bring the game to 7-2 but that would be all the runs they would get.
A big ninth inning by NTCC matched the first inning scoring with five more runs in the ninth. Rogers would hit home run number two, a grand slam to cap off a great game and bring the Eagles back to Mount Pleasant with a 12-2 win.
Seven Eagles would all spend time on the mound in the early season game, gaining valuable experience for conference play. Kevin Schoneboom (Mansfield, TX) led the way with three innings of work giving up no runs, on two hits and four strikeouts. The NTCC Staff would fan fourteen batters in game two and allowed a combined five hits in the game.
NTCC will be on the road against Centenary College on Tuesday, February 7th. The first home games of the season will be on Friday, February 10th when the Eagles host Cowley Community College from Kansas in a weekend series. Friday’s games are a planned double header beginning at 2:00pm and Saturday, one game at Noon.
