April 17, 2008

By Ken McDowell Sports Editor

MCCOOK, NEB. - It was a clean sweep by the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) Plainsmen baseball team in its four-game series Sunday and Monday at McCook, Neb., Community College (MCC) in Empire Conference action. The series was pushed back a day due to bad weather as it got underway Sunday.

In game 1 sophomore James Quisenberry pitched his fourth complete game of the season and recorded his second shutout as NJC blanked the Indians 3-0. In the second game Sunday NJC received another complete game performance, this time by sophomore Arvin Perez as he led the Plainsmen to an 8-3 victory. On Monday the Plainsmen packed the offense by banging out 12 hits and belting 4 home runs in a 13-3 win in 5 innings.

NJC completed the sweep in the nightcap Monday with a 5-3 triumph. NJC has won 7 straight and improves to 28-10 overall and still leads the conference with a 16-6 mark. Lamar Community College is the closest opponent in the conference standigns with a 15-9 mark.

"It was a good weekend for us," said NJC Coach Bryan Shepherd. "After we won the first three games we kind of cruised and came out flat in the fourth game and hung on to win. But we won four games and did what we had to do."

In game 1 on Sunday, Quisenberry got back on track after a couple of rough outings by tossing the complete game shut-out. The 6-7 lefty allowed just 3 hits (two were bloop singles) while striking out 8 and walking just 1. NJC scored all of its runs in the third inning after the first 2 Plainsmen batters were retired. Freshman Sean Flaherty singled, stole second and scored the first run on an RBI single by sophomore Sam Feiner. Feiner also stole second and after sophomore Danny Brock walked, sophomore Curtis Burback smacked a single to chase home Feiner. NJC's third run came on an RBI single by freshman Scott Dalrymple to score Brock, and that was more than enough runs that Quisenberry would need. Feiner was 2-for-3 at the dish with a double, a stolen base and an RBI and Dalrymple was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

In game 2 Sunday NJC scored 3 in the first and continued to push runs home in nearly every inning while banging out 13 hits. Perez tossed the complete game by allowing 3 runs on 5 hits with 6 strikeouts and no walks. Burback was 3-for-4, freshman Jordan Kessler 2-for-2, Feiner was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Brock was 2- for-4.

In the opener on Monday NJC scored 4 runs in the fourth inning with the help of the long ball. Warren belted a 2-run homer and freshman LaDarian Poole followed with a solo shot as the Plainsmen went deep back-to-back. The Indians answered with 3 runs in the bottom of the fourth with the help of a controversial pick-off call at first base as a McCook player was called safe instead of out. McCook scored its 3 runs after the call, but the Plainsmen put the game away in the top of the fifth by exploding for 9 runs to take a 13-3 lead. The big hit of the inning was a grand slam home run by Poole, his second round-tripper of the game. Feiner also added a 2-run shot. Poole finished the day with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with 2 homes runs, 5 RBI's and 3 runs scored. Warren was 3-for-4 with his 2-run homer and 3 RBI's and Feiner was 2-for-4 with a home run, 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored. Sophomore Colton Williams started the game but did not figure into the decision as he worked 3-2/3 innings and allowed 2 earned runs on 7 hits with 4 K's and 2 walks. Freshman Bryan Kruse picked up the win by throwing 1-1/3 innings and allowing no runs on 1 hit with a strikeout.

The finale of the 4-game series on Monday was a much tighter contest with the outcome still in jeopardy until the final out was recorded in the bottom of the seventh. Both teams were tied 1-1 after the second inning when NJC plated single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to scoot out to a 4-1 lead. Warren homered in the sixth inning to give the Plainsmen their fourth run.McCook scored a run in the bottom of the sixth, but NJC came back with an insurance run in the top of the seventh to extend the lead to 5-2. In the bottom of the seventh McCook scored a run to close the gap to 5-3, and had the tying runs on first and third with 2 outs. But Warren made an outstanding diving catch in center field to end the game and preserve the 4-game sweep by the Plainsmen. Dalrymple was 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, Warren was 1-for-4 with his solo homer in the sixth and Burback, Brock, sophomore Rhett Welsh and Flaherty each had a hit. Feiner was 0-for-1 in the game but stole 2 bases. The NJC third basemen has 17 stolen bags on the season. Sophomore Darren Chavez picked up the win to improve to 7-2 on the season. He pitched 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks. Brock picked up the save by throwing the final 2 innings and allowing a run on 3 hits with a strikeout.

NJC will play a pair of Empire Conference double-headers Saturday and Sunday at Otero Junior College. Otero enters the action with an 18-24 overall record and 10-8 in the conference. NJC swept a twin-bill from Otero at Plainsmen Park back on March 8 by scores of 3-1 and 6-5.