The tiebreaker goes to New Mexico Junior College.
Entering Wednesday’s game between the Thunderbirds and Western Nevada Community College, the season series stood at one win, one loss and one tie.
New Mexico broke the tie by taking down Western Nevada in five innings.
In the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series, the odds of playing a team after facing them in the regular season is unlikely, much less playing them two more times in the series.
That was the case for the teams that faced each other on Feb. 10 in Hobbs, N.M., with the Thunderbirds taking the first game 2-1 and the teams tying the second 5-5 when they ran out of daylight.
Western Nevada coach D.J. Whittemore said he was grateful to New Mexico coach Ray Birmingham for putting the second-year program on the T-Birds’ schedule.
“We were lucky that Coach Birmingham made room on his schedule and allowed us to come and play them,” Whittemore said.
“That allowed a second-year program to gain some confidence.”
For New Mexico, the feel of the first two games was much different than that of the latter two.
“This is a bigger situation,” Thunderbirds second baseman Adalberto Santos said. “In the spring we were just seeing what we could do, but this win just feels better because of the situation.”
Western Nevada avenged their loss in Hobbs on Monday, taking down the T-Birds 8-4.
A New Mexico win over Cowley County (Kan.) Community College and a Wildcat loss to San Jacinto on Tuesday night set up Game 4.
Birmingham said it is strange to see a nonconference team four times in one season but the Thunderbirds coach didn’t mind that they have faced Western Nevada that many times.
“It is cool because I love playing them,” Birmingham said. “They are well-coached and I have the world of admiration for that team.”
That feeling is shared by both teams.
“They are a very aggressive hitting ballclub,” Wildcats shortstop Kyle Bondurant said. “They are a good club and I wish them the best of luck.”
What started as a nonconference game for both teams is developing into a friendly rivalry.
The teams will face each other again next season in Hobbs.
“I like the competition of playing good teams,” Birmingham said.
