By: Justin Hargrove, NTCC Assistant Athletic Director
Just like most of the conference series this spring, rain and wet fields forced the Northeast Texas Community College baseball team to travel to Corsicana to take on conference leading Navarro College on Sunday to play on the turf field at Corsicana High school. Navarro won game one of the series 9-2 and completed the sweep in game two winning 8-0.
In game one action, Jordan Martinez (Texas Southern University) got the start for NTCC. Martinez lasted two and two-thirds innings, allowing four hits and five runs while striking out three.
Navarro scored early and scored a run in the first, three runs in the seconds and added another run in the third to lead 5-0. They added four more runs in the fifth to lead 9-0. The Eagles struggled to put runs on the board, finally adding two in the seventh inning when Brian Juarez would hit a one out double followed by Jake Chapman hitting a two run homerun to cut the lead to 9-2.
NTCC was limited to five hits in game one. Juarez and Chapman each had multiple hits for the Eagles and Chapman had two RBI’s to lead the offense. Jackson Rutledge (Delta State University) saw action out of the bullpen, going three and one-third innings striking out five and walking one.
In game two action, the Eagles were limited to just one hit in the game as the Navarro pitchers kept the NTCC hitters at bay. Navarro College won game two of the day 8-0.
Jonathon Carrillo singled in the first inning but was picked off on first base and the Eagles offense only saw two others reach base on a walk and hit by pitch later in the game.
Tyler Navarro (University of Central Arkansas) got the start for NTCC, going two innings before being relieved by Hayden Shaddox. Garrett Chappell and Sawyer Smallwood also saw action for NTCC in game two.
Navarro College scored two runs in the third, four runs in the fourth and added two more in the sixth inning to complete the 8-0 win.
The Eaglesfinally got together to complete the third game of the series against Navarro on Monday. After heavy rains forced postponement of the series opener, both teams took the field at NTCC Monday with Navarro College winning 6-2.
Chandler Mauldin took the mound one last time for the Eagles on Monday. After giving up a leadoff home run, Mauldin settled in going four and one third innings striking out five and giving up two runs.
The Eagles took a 2-1 lead in the third inning when Andy DeLeon reached on a walk and then stole second base. John Michael Russ walked on a wild pitch, which allowed DeLeon to score. Matt Scheurich singled to left to score Russ to give the Eagles their first lead in the game.
Navarro College tied things up at 2-2 in the fifth on a RBI single to left. The Bulldogs added another run in the seventh before scoring three runs in the ninth to lead 6-2.
NTCC would not go away easy in the bottom of the ninth. John Pron singled to start the inning. Brian Juarez flew out to center for the first out in the ninth. Deleon singled to right to give the Eagles runners on first and second with one out. The bases were loaded when Jonathan Carrillo was hit by a pitch in the next at bat. The Navarro pitcher got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts to take down the Eagles 6-2. Javan Smitherman went two and two-thirds innings in relief and Mikel Howell and Hunter Riley each threw one inning of relief in the season finale.
NTCC finished the season in fifth place with a season record of 17-34, going 8-21 in conference play.
