No. 7 New Mexico pounded out 15 hits and pitcher Gera Sanchez kept TC batters off balance as the Thunderbirds rolled over the Leopards 15-4 in an elimination game Monday afternoon at Lub-bock Christian’s Hays Field.
Temple (31-25), which had played on the tournament’s final day the past three years and won the event in 2006, was outscored 28-9 in its two losses to include Sunday’s 13-5 setback to Clarendon.
“There’s not a whole lot of positives to this,” TC coach Craig McMurtry said. “We’ve been here seven years in a row, and that’s a good accomplishment. But it’s still frustrating when you’ve won it before and been here on the final day for three years, and then lose two straight.
“The guys were ready for this one. They understood the circumstances - win or go home. They were mentally prepared. We just didn’t play well enough to win.”
Leopards starting pitcher Tristan Gaines never made it out of the second inning, when the Thunderbirds (40-10) scored eight runs. He was relieved by Sam Cordero, who gave way to Courtney Behrend in the third. NMJC added five runs in the third and two in the fourth.
“Tristan made some good pitches but (New Mexico) is swinging the bat really well,” McMurtry said. “The good pitches he made, they stayed on them and hit it.”
All of TC’s runs came in the fourth and all four were unearned after a dropped fly ball with the bases loaded.
“(Sanchez) threw well,” McMurtry said. “When we’ve struggled this year is when we take breaking balls for strikes early in the count and get behind. Then with two strikes, the pitcher can throw it toward third base and we swing at it.”
NMJC stayed alive to face the loser between Cisco (39-18) and Grayson County (40-15) in another elimination game today.
