NOC owned the late innings winning both games of a home doubleheader against Western Saturday afternoon.
The Mavs (38-13-1) won 7-6 and 12-9 over Western improving to 7-9 in conference play but just one game from third with four games left to play.
Game 2's win seemed improbable for the Mavs scoring four runs in the 9th inning on a two run single by Dominick Trevino scoring Luke Quick and Kris Perez giving the Mavs a 7-6 win.
NOC cut the lead to 6-5 when Joey Pena's sacrifice fly scored Will Koberick and then Cacy Harper's single scored Eric Gutierrez.
Tyler Kisner was brilliant out of the Mavs bullpen tossing 6.1 innings of one run baseball. Chase Bridges earned the win with a scoreless 9th inning.
Trevino and Chris Cloud had two hits each for the Mavs, Cloud, Pena and Trevino had two runs batted in each.
In Game 1, the Mavs and Pioneers were tied 8-8 when NOC scored four two-out runs in the 8th to take a 12-8 lead and then held on for the 12-9 win.
The big blow was a three run inside the park home run by Luke Quick. The Mavs took the lead earlier when Dominick Trevino stole home after Kade Marlatt stole second drawing a throw from the Pioneers.
Kisner earned the win out of the bullpen getting the final out in the 6th. Tanner Long allowed one run in the 7th but earned the save.
Long, Gutierrez and Trevino had two hits each while Long had three rbi's in the 6th.
Game 1
123 456 7—R H E
WST 240 200 1—9 10 2
NOC 011 064 x—12 9 0
NOC—Busby, Baez (2), B. Brown (5), Kisner (6), Long (7) and Harper. 2B—Gutierrez, Long, Trevino. HR—Quick. SB—Cloud, Marlatt, Trevino 2. W—Kisner. Save-Long.
Game 2
123 456 789—R H E
WST 050 100 000—6 11 1
NOC 000 020 104—7 9 2
NOC—Gennari, Kisner (2), Bridges (9) and Harper. 2B—Cloud, Long, Pena. W—Bridges.