The Odessa College baseball team ended up getting swept in its home opener.
Playing on their brand-new turf at Wrangler Ballpark, the Wranglers lost by scores of 4-2 and 9-2 to the Seward County Community College Saints Friday.
The Wranglers fell to 4-4 while the Saints improved to 5-3.
“I thought we pitched the ball well today,” Seward County Community College head coach Mike Davidson. “We got two quality starts and pieced some things together.”
Seward County used a late comeback to win the first game while the Saints were in total control in the second game.
“I think Seward did a great job of being aggressive on the mound and at the plate,” Odessa College head coach David Wood said. “I thought we were in a good spot in the first game but we have to be better on offense.”
A ceremony was held to celebrate the new turf in between games.
“We are so blessed,” Wood said. “The school has been so great through this whole process and making sure that this program is in the right direction. But now it’s on to the guys and the players to make sure we’re backing up what the school is doing for us.”
The Wranglers held the Saints scoreless in the top of the first inning.
Robert De La Garza’s triple deep into center field put him in scoring position in the bottom of the first.
He was brought home on the next at bat as Anthony Llera sacrificed to give the Wranglers a 1-0 lead.
The Wranglers’ ended the opening frame with a one-run advantage.
However, the Saints responded with a leadoff triple at the start of the second inning by Cross Durham.
He scored on an RBI by Jacob Urias to tie the game up at 1-1.
In the fourth inning, Odessa College replaced LeBlanc at the mound as Matt Maklin took over the pitching duties.
Llera got on base in the bottom of the fourth and it wasn’t long until Nathaniel Mendoza brought him home on an RBI double to give the Wranglers a 2-1 lead.
The Wranglers were unable to add to their lead in the fifth and sixth innings but managed to hold Seward County scoreless during that stretch.
At the top of the seventh, the Wranglers made another pitching change as Daniel Lopez took over on the mound.
Seward County’s Blaine Chancy got on first in the top of the seventh.
Chancy was able to advance to second and was able to slide in just before being tagged.
The Saints were able to get another runner on base.
Seward then managed to load the bases.
What followed next was Brooks Barber with a double RBI, giving the Saints a 3-2 lead.
Cooper Turner then scored on an RBI single by Cross Durham and the Saints’ lead was 4-2.
The Wranglers tried to respond in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t get anything and the Saints took the two-run victory.
In the second game, the saints used a six-run barrage in the fourth inning.
Both teams were kept scoreless in the first two innings.
Urias got on first with a single into center field in the top of the third inning.
He got out while trying to steal second.
The Wrangler outfielders used a double play to end the top of the third with both teams still scoreless.
The Saints then loaded the bases in the fourth inning.
Nathan Hopkins and Colton Rowan both scored runs on a single to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
Seward County added another RBI as Barber scored to make it 3-0.
The Saints then loaded the bases again in the fourth inning.
Ryan Todd took advantage with an RBI single, scoring Barber and Cross Durham to make it 5-0.
That led to Odessa College making a pitching change as Jacob Alvarez took over on the mound.
Then, the Saints continued to add to their lead as they scored a run shortly after to take a six-run advantage with the game still in the fourth inning.
Odessa college got on base when De La Garza tripled into deep center field.
He soon scored off a double and the Wranglers were finally on the board in the bottom of the fourth.
The Saints added two runs off a double and the lead became 8-1.
The Wranglers put in a new pitcher as Jackson Peters took over in sixth.
He was able to finish the top of the inning with the Wranglers still down by seven.
The Wranglers got their first home run of the day by Mendoza in the eighth inning.
Seward then took a 9-2 lead.
Odessa College will be back on the field for a doubleheader starting at noon Saturday against Luna Community College at Wrangler Ballpark.
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