SCOTTSBLUFF -- The Trinidad State Junior College Trojans showed why they are the favorites entering the Region IX playoffs.
The Trojans, who have a 23-5 conference record, received two sterling pitching performances from Jordan Romine and Loran Carosella. Trinidad then watched their bats go wild in the cold conditions at Cleveland Field, lighting up the WNCC defense for a combined 28 runs and 22 hits.
In the opener, Romine allowed just two hits and struck out three in lifting the 39-15 Trojans to a 15-0 win. Carosella was even more dominating in the second game, tossing a 1-hitter while striking gout 10 in the 13-0 win.
Both teams will be back at Cleveland Field Sunday in a doubleheader beginning at noon. In fact, Sunday’s regular season finale games have put the Cougars in a must win situation in order to host the playoffs this week. WNCC is 15-13 in Empire Conference standings followed by Northeastern Colorado at 14-14, Lamar Community College at 13-15 and Otero Junior College at 13-17.
Northeastern Colorado swept Lamar Community College in contests on Saturday, earning a 5-4 8 inning win and then winning 7-3.
WNCC coach Mike Jones said they need to put these games behind them and concentrate on Sunday’s contests.
“Right now it is important for us to just put together a complete ball game. We haven’t played a complete ball game for a couple weeks now,” Jones said. “I think it is important for us to get back to some basic things that we need to focus on and stop worrying about wins and losses and back to playing the game a little bit better.”
Trinidad quickly took control of the contest, scoring twice n the first inning on two hits and could have had more, except for a diving snag by shortstop Trace Marsden that ended the inning and a 2-0 lead.
Trinidad put the game away in the second inning, scoring 13 runs on eight hits. WNCC’s defense didn’t help batters, as the pitchers issued three free passes and while the fielders had two clutch errors.
After that disastrous second inning, the Cougars settled down on defense. Still they couldn’t get the bat on the ball to generate any offense against Romine. WNCC’s only two hits came in the first inning from Jason Sloan and then the fourth inning from Alex Arias.
The second inning wasn’t much better, both ways for the Cougars. WNCC trailed 1-0 after one inning and then saw the deficit balloon to 6-0 after two innings and 10-0 after three. WNCC had just one hit in the contest, a fifth-inning single by Marsden.
WNCC, however, was playing banged up as starting shortstop Josh Parker couldn’t play after injury suffered in the McCook game on Friday. Sloan also left the second game after getting hit in the hand. Still, Jones said injuries are part of the game.
“We have a lot of injuries going on, but that is part of the game in a long college season,” he said. “We did not have an infielder out there today playing their regular position. That is part of It and we need to get through that. We need some time off, that is for sure. We will have to come back tomorrow [today] and battle for everything and give it all we got.”
Sam Diaz took the loss in the opening game, allowing 13 runs and striking out three. Armani Gonzalez came in relief and allowed two runs while striking out three. Rodil Martinez suffered the loss in game two, giving up 10 runs on four hits and striking out three. Marco Jiminiz finished off the game, going 2 1/3, while allowing three runs and striking out two.
Jones is hoping Sunday’s starters, Victor Rubio and David Castle, can produce the same results that the Trinidad starters had Saturday.
“He [Carosella] threw a great game,” he said. “He has a little bit of a cut on his fastball and he follows it up with a slider. We weren’t very aggressive with our approaches trying to go the other way. It will be important the next time we see him.”
First Game
Trinidad 2(13)0 00 – 15 10 1
WNCC 000 00 – 0 2 2
WP – Ronine, LP – Diaz; 3B – Trinidad (David Fox).
Second Game
Trinidad (39-15) 154 03 – 13 12 0
WNCC (24-26) 000 00 – 0 1 1
WP – Carosella; 2B – Trnidad (Jason Veyna, Zack Mees, David Fox, Joe Manders).
Baseball Region IX Standings
Team Conf. Overall
Trinidad State 23-5 39-15
WNCC 15-13 24-26
NE Colorado 14-14 20-23
Lamar 13-15 23-23
Otero 13-17 19-26
McCook 8-22 18-34
Saturday’s Games
Trinidad State 15, Western Nebraska 0
Trinidad State 13, Western Nebraska 0
NE Colorado 5, Lamar 4 (8 innings)
NE Colorado 7, Lamar 3
Sunday’s Games
Trinidad State at Western Nebraska, noon
Lamar at Northeastern Colorado, noon
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