March 9, 2007

The Northeastern Junior College baseball team opened conference play with a two-game split with Otero on Friday. The Plainsmen improved to 8-4 on the season.

NJC took the first game, 2-1, behind the pitching of sophomore Derrick Townsend. The sophomore from Baton Rouge went the distance, allowing just four hits.

Townsend fell behind, 1-0, early in the contest and trailed for six innings. But pinch-runner Mike Mendenhall scored on a Gus Velazquez single to tie the game. Then with runners at second and third, Thornton freshman Curtis Burback delivered a single to right that scored Danny Brock. The hit gave the Plainsmen the win and a 1-0 lead in the four-game series.

Townsend moved to 2-1 on the year with the 71-pitch, complete game.

"It was exciting to see the offense put up those runs in the seventh," Townsend said. "I just tried to go after hitters with my fastball early in the game. My curveball got better as the game went on. That made it a lot easier to pitch."

NJC led, 1-0, for five innings of the second game with freshman James Quisenberry on the mound gunning for his third win of the year. The 6-7 lefty held Otero scoreless until surrendering two runs with two outs in the sixth.

The inning proved to be the difference in the game as Otero forced the split.

The two teams square off on Saturday at noon for another Region IX doubleheader.