The El Paso Community College Tejanos faced a tough defeat against the Weatherford Coyotes with a score of 12-6 in game one of the NJCAA Region V playoff series. According to EPCC News, The Coyotes' victory puts them in a favorable position, leading the best of three series against the Tejanos, who currently hold a season record of 39-18.
Initially trailing by two runs, EPCC's Alan Nava's two-run homer managed to even the score at two apiece in the fifth inning. Weatherford responded with three runs, elevating the score to 5-2 before the Tejanos could summon a rally in the seventh inning, sparked by Carlos Mauldin's two-run home run and extended, with Nava and Yahir Acevedo capitalizing on wild pitches to snag a 6-5 lead.
Despite a strong start from Tejanos' pitcher Gethse Ulloa, who allowed five runs over six innings, the relief pitching stumbled with Carlos Rodriguez conceding six runs upon entering the game in the seventh. The Coyotes expanded their lead with an additional run in the eighth inning off Jean Paul Ramos, setting the final score and putting a dampener on EPCC’s playoff ambitions.
The Tejanos are scheduled to face the Coyotes once again on Friday at 1:00 p.m. CT in Weatherford, in a bid to even the series and extend their postseason run. Weatherford now sits comfortably with a 45-11 season record and will look to close out the series at home. The EPCC team must regroup and refocus if they hope to overcome the Coyotes' dominant performance from game one and stay alive in the series, with stakes higher than ever.
