Knowing that in his previous plate appearance he’d almost showed the sort of damage his visually-intimidating swing could potentially produce, Ignacio’s Rylan Maez at last connected when it most counted on Friday.
Maez flew out to Nucla left fielder Joseph Casillas to end the bottom of the fourth inning, stranding two Bobcats in scoring position. In the sixth, Maez adjusted ever so slightly and blasted a one-out triple over Casillas, plating Stoney White Thunder from second base and Phillip Quintana all the way from first – increasing IHS’ lead to 9-1.
“Towards the end he started throwing quite a lot of balls,” said Maez, asked whether or not he’d noticed a drop-off in Mustang pitcher Steele Arnold’s effectiveness as the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League game wore on. “I saw a fastball coming, got a big (pre-swing) load, and I just took it deep.”
“We’ve had Coach Z (assistant Isiah Valdez) working with him, and the thing is, when (Maez) connects, that ball’s going to go,” head coach Duke Baker said. “And he got it that last at-bat … when he used what we told him. It was just a simple little fix … and I applaud him for it.”
Marcus Maez then scored his brother with a sharp single down the third-base line, which Rylan Maez – who’d wisely led off the bag in foul territory – watched zip between himself and NHS’ Josh Platt and into left.
“I could have caught that with my hand if I stuck it out there,” Rylan Maez said with a laugh. “But it was a good one.”
With Dylan McCaw batting, Marcus Maez stole second and hurried to third when McCaw tapped a single into short center. Arnold (L; 5.1 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 2 BB, 5 K) was nearing the CHSAA-mandated pitch-count limit, so Nucla skipper Randy Gabriel brought in second baseman Jake Hulst (0.1 IP) as a reliever.
But after McCaw stole second unchallenged, IHS’ Elliott Hendren promptly lifted a sacrifice fly to center and Maez beat Mustang Brycen Rummel’s throw home to catcher Owen Tackett, securing the ’Cats an 11-1 mercy-rule win – just before the chilly afternoon’s frequently-overcast sky opened in earnest, marring the subsequent junior-varsity game.
Able to work out of jams in the visitors’ second and sixth innings, Ignacio senior Eppie Quintana (W; 6 IP, R, 0 BB, 2 HB, 5 K) ended up firing a complete-game no-hitter. Nucla got on the scoreboard when Arnold reached via error leading off the Mustangs’ fourth and scored via a Platt ground out to shortstop Devante Montoya.
Platt (0-2, RBI) was the first Mustang to reach base, when Montoya muffed a routine pop-up in the top of the second. Hulst (0-2) then reached via error when Eppie Quintana, attempting to start a double play, bobbled Hulst’s soft bouncer back toward the mound. Rummel (0-2) then struck out and Casillas (0-2) smashed a potential extra-base hit, but Hendren made a highlight-reel grab in right to deny Nucla.
All told, Quintana retired Nucla in order during the odd-numbered innings and began the sixth having thrown only 45 deliveries. Arnold, meanwhile, was at 79 beginning the Bobcats’ fifth. Atop Gabriel’s order, Hemmy O’Brien (0-2) was plunked leading off, but Tackett (0-3) lined out to left fielder Zane Olguin and O’Brien was retired at second when Quintana successfully fielded an Arnold comebacker.
Quintana then beaned P.J. Hulst (0-2), but catcher Phillip Quintana gunned down Arnold (0-3, R) trying to steal third for the final out for NHS (4-5 overall, 0-2 SJBL).
“Eppie was lights-out, and our defense was solid again,” Baker said. “A couple errors here and there, but they picked it right up. Didn’t dwell on it – that’s one thing I’ve stressed.”
Offensively, Ignacio (4-3, 3-0) got at least one hit from all nine slots in Baker’s lineup. Montoya commenced the attack with a lead double in the bottom of the first, reached base twice via error and finished 1-for-4 with three runs scored. White Thunder ended up 2-3 with a walk, two runs and three RBIs. Rylan Maez finished 1-4 with a run and two batted in.
“It was a great game, honestly,” he said. “The boys showed up; there was good stuff all around.”
Marcus Maez went 1-3 with a walk, two runs and two RBIs. Eppie Quintana went 2-3 with a double, sac-fly, and one RBI in his own support. Phillip Quintana went 2-4 with two run. Hendren ended up 2-3 with one run and one batted in. Olguin went 1-3 and McCaw 1-4.
After the win, Ignacio got to celebrate on a long bus trip to Fairplay for a doubleheader Saturday at South Park (1-6 overall).
“It’s going to be a long ride. But I’ve never really been there, so I don’t mind,” Maez said. “And we’ve just got to focus tomorrow – same game plan and everything.”
“You know, it’s supposed to be 33 degrees – as a high – up there, so we’re not really looking forward to that,” Baker said with a grin. “Besides that, our boys will be ready to play like any other day. I expect nothing less of these boys.”
