Texico thumps Capitan

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TEXICO — With new players in numerous positions this season, the Texico Wolverines have held their own so far.

link Staff photo: Kevin Wilson

Texico coach Ty Thatcher has a light moment with Tanner Dickerman at third base during the third inning of the Wolverines’ 17-1 victory over Capitan on Saturday at Texico.

On Saturday, they faced an even younger team in Capitan. Suffice it to say, it was no contest as the Wolverines rolled to a 17-1 victory, shortened to 4 1/2 innings by the 10-run rule.

Junior right fielder Matt Odegaard went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI doubles, a walk and three runs scored for Texico (7-4). Meantime, freshman Nathan Phipps threw two scoreless innings before giving way to junior Joseph Sena, who allowed the Tigers’ only run in the third but also escaped a bases-loaded, none-out jam.

“We scored some runs, which is always nice,” said Texico coach Ty Thatcher, whose team tied Portales 7-7 with a six-run seventh on Thursday only to lose in the bottom of the inning. “It seemed like both teams lacked a little energy, but we did what we needed to do to win the game.”

Texico batted around in each of the first three innings and sent eight hitters to the plate in the fourth. Besides Odegaard, eight other players had one hit apiece for the Wolverines.

“Matt’s swinging it well for us,” Thatcher said. “He looked bad on one curveball today, but other than that he had some pretty good swings.”

Phipps, who tied Thursday’s game at Portales with a two-out grand slam in the seventh, singled home two runs in a five-run second while senior Tanner Dickerman and Sena added two-run singles in the third and fourth, respectively.

Texico has just two seniors on its squad, with seven juniors and six others who are either freshmen or eighth-graders.

“I think (considering) the age difference here, we all get along pretty good and compete as a team,” Odegaard said, adding it wasn’t that hard to shake off Thursday’s loss.

“You’ve just got to forget about (that) and play baseball,” he said. “ I think we kept our heads in the game.”

Meantime, Sena was making his first mound appearance of the season. He gave up a walk and three singles to start the Capitan third before pitching out of it and allowing only two baserunners — both with two outs — over the final two innings.

“It was nice to get a look at Sena,” he said. “He’s got some decent stuff.”

The Tigers (2-6), with 14 of 17 players in the sophomore class or below, got their run in an RBI single by eighth-grader Brenden Usrey.

The Wolverines are back in action on Tuesday with a 2 p.m. home doubleheader against former district rival Santa Rosa.