By: Scott DCamp, Northland Communications
Thief River Falls, Minn. -
Northland Community & Technical College swept a pair of baseball doubleheaders against Minnesota North College - Hibbing Friday and Saturday to open MCAC Northern Division play with a 4-0 record.
Games one and two
The Pioneers and Cardinals opened the four-game weekend series with a twin bill in Hibbing. In game one, the Pioneers scored two runs in the top of the seventh to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 win. The Pioneers trailed 5-1 through five innings in game two, before erasing the deficit with five runs in the sixth and three runs in the seventh to secure a doubleheader sweep with a 9-5 win.
Freshman
Joshua Torres went 3-for-3 and scored a pair of runs in Friday's opener.
Tyler Tamez tripled as part of a 2-for-4 effort at the plate that also included an RBI and a run scored.
Austin Amesquita,
Justin Amesquita also recorded two hits each, with
Justin Amesquita batting in a pair of runs.
Kyle Robinson went six and a third innings on the mound in game one for the Pioneers. He allowed four runs, three of which were earned, on 15 hits. He walked one Cardinal hitter and struck out five.
Justin Amesquita got the final two outs to pick up the save.
Justin Amesquita, Torres,
Gamaliel Vasquez and
Cooper Lawrence each picked up a pair of hits in game two. Lawrence went 2-for-2 with a triple and two runs batted in. Torres went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI.
Justin Amesquita went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs; and Vasquez went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI.
Brandon Castilleja picked up the win on the hill for the Pioneers. He went six innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits with a walk and a strikeout.
Justin Amesquita pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Games three and four
The series moved to Thief River Falls Saturday as the Pioneers played at Pioneer Field for the first time during the 2025 season. The Cardinals led 1-0 through two and a half innings in game one. The Pioneers scored a pair of runs on one hit in the bottom of the third inning, and 10 runs on nine hits in the bottom of the fourth to take a 12-1 lead that ended up being the final score after the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the fifth.
Race Fisher picked up the five-inning complete game for the Pioneers. A solo home run by MNC-Hibbing hitter Gabriel Cantona was the only blemish against Fisher, who allowed a run on five hits, with a walk and six strikeouts in his five innings of work.
Offensively, the Pioneers were led in game one by Tamez who went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and four RBI. Torres went 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI. Also picking up multpiple hits for the Pioneers were Vasquez, 2-for-3, two runs and an RBI, and Lawrence, 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored.
The Pioneers and Cardinals traded runs early in game two, with the Pioneers taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and the Cardinals answering in the top of the second. The Pioneers took the lead for good with three runs on two hits in the bottom of the third, and they added a pair of insurance runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-1 lead that would standup as the final.
After swinging a hot bat and manning the hot corner for games one through three, Torres moved to the mound for game four of the series and allowed one unearned run on two hits over five innings of work.
Justin Amesquita finished off the four-game sweep with two scoreless innings on the mound.
Pioneers face Norse Tuesday and Wednesday
Overall, the Pioneers have won five straight games to boost their season record to 12-17 overall.
The Pioneers will continue their home stand with doubleheaders on Tuesday and Wednesday against Minnesota North College - Mesabi Range. The Norse are 0-2 in MCAC Northern Division play and 2-13 overall. All four games will be played in Thief River Falls, but the Pioneers will be the away team on the scoreboard for Wednesday's games.
April 11, 2025
Northland Community & Technical College at Minnesota North College-Hibbing
Game 1
5
4
Line Score
| Final |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
| Northland Community & Technical College |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
11 |
2 |
| Minnesota North College-Hibbing |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
15 |
1 |
Box Score
Batting
3B: Tyler Tamez
RBI: Justin Amesquita (2) , Tyler Tamez , Gamaliel Vasquez , Jeremiah Vallejo
Sac: Cooper Lawrence
Sac Fly: Gamaliel Vasquez
GIDP: Justin Amesquita
Baserunning
SB: Dylan Smith , Joshua Torres , Tyler Tamez
Fielding
E: Justin Amesquita , Kyle Robinson
Batting
2B: Gabriel Cantona , Bruce Slygh
HR: Gabriel Cantona , Moisés Acosta
RBI: David Cano , Gabriel Cantona , Moisés Acosta
Baserunning
SB: Dantin Winnipeg
CS: Isaiah Matthews , Dantin Winnipeg , Ethan Aranda
Fielding
E: Dantin Winnipeg
DP: David Cano , Ethan Aranda , Moisés Acosta
Pitching
Batters faced: Kyle Robinson (33) , Justin Amesquita (2)
Pitching
Batters faced: Darren Loyola (25) , Hunter Monson (10)
WP: Darren Loyola
HBP: Darren Loyola (2)
April 11, 2025
Northland Community & Technical College at Minnesota North College-Hibbing
Game 2
9
5
Line Score
| Final |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
| Northland Community & Technical College |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
3 |
9 |
10 |
1 |
| Minnesota North College-Hibbing |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
8 |
2 |
Box Score
Batting
2B: Joshua Torres
3B: Cooper Lawrence
RBI: Joshua Torres , Tyler Tamez (2) , Gamaliel Vasquez (2) , Jeremiah Vallejo , Cooper Lawrence (2)
Sac Fly: Jeremiah Vallejo , Cooper Lawrence
Baserunning
SB: Austin Amesquita , Tyler Tamez , Gamaliel Vasquez , Jeremiah Vallejo , Cooper Lawrence
Fielding
E: Isaac Lopez
Batting
2B: Rheghon Larson , Ethan Aranda
HR: Gabriel Cantona , Joel merced
RBI: Gabriel Cantona (2) , Joel merced (2) , Moisés Acosta
Fielding
E: Moisés Acosta , Damien Lariz
Pitching
Batters faced: Brandon Castilleja (28) , Justin Amesquita (3)
Pitching
Batters faced: Damien Lariz (33) , Ryder Petrie (2)
HBP: Damien Lariz (4)
April 12, 2025
Minnesota North College-Hibbing at Northland Community & Technical College
Game 1
1
12
Line Score
| Final |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
R |
H |
E |
| Minnesota North College-Hibbing |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
| Northland Community & Technical College |
0 |
0 |
2 |
10 |
X |
12 |
11 |
1 |
Box Score
Batting
HR: Gabriel Cantona
RBI: Gabriel Cantona
Sac: Bruce Slygh , Seth Edgren
Batting
2B: Tyler Tamez
HR: Tyler Tamez
RBI: Dylan Smith , Joshua Torres (3) , Justin Amesquita (2) , Gamaliel Vasquez , Tyler Tamez (4)
Baserunning
SB: Joshua Torres , Jeremiah Vallejo , Cooper Lawrence (2)
Fielding
E: Joshua Torres
DP: Justin Amesquita , Jeremiah Vallejo , Rayce Fisher
| Pitchers |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
HR |
| Landon Wood (L, 0-1) |
4.0 |
11 |
12 |
12 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
| Totals |
4.0 |
11 |
12 |
12 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
Pitching
Batters faced: Landon Wood (28)
HBP: Landon Wood (4)
Pitching
Batters faced: Rayce Fisher (23)
HBP: Rayce Fisher (2)
April 12, 2025
Minnesota North College-Hibbing at Northland Community & Technical College
Game 2
1
6
Line Score
| Final |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
| Minnesota North College-Hibbing |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
| Northland Community & Technical College |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
X |
6 |
6 |
3 |
Box Score
Baserunning
CS: Rheghon Larson
Fielding
E: Dantin Winnipeg , Moisés Acosta , Paxton Smith , David Cano , Ryder Petrie
DP: Bruce Slygh , Moisés Acosta
Batting
2B: Justin Amesquita , Isaac Lopez
RBI: Joshua Torres (2) , Justin Amesquita , Isaac Lopez , Cooper Lawrence
Sac: Dylan Smith
Baserunning
SB: Tyler Tamez , Austin Amesquita , Cooper Lawrence (2)
CS: Justin Amesquita , Gamaliel Vasquez
Fielding
E: Justin Amesquita (2) , Isaac Lopez
| Pitchers |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
HR |
| David Cano (L, 0-1) |
3.2 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| Ryder Petrie |
2.1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Totals |
6.0 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Pitching
Batters faced: David Cano (17) , Ryder Petrie (9)
HBP: David Cano (2)
Pitching
Batters faced: Joshua Torres (19) , Justin Amesquita (8)
HBP: Joshua Torres , Justin Amesquita
