Three baseball sweeps in 2-6A
La Cueva, Sandia softball also win 2
La Cueva, Eldorado and Clovis all swept District 2-6A baseball doubleheaders on Saturday.
The top-ranked Bears (16-1, 4-0) went to Santa Fe and hammered the Demons, 12-2 and 17-0, and ran their winning streak to 16 games since losing the season opener to Valley.
Ryan Johnson had three hits and three RBIs for La Cueva in the opener, and Isaac Standridge also drove in three runs for the Bears.
In the second game, Austin Schlagel belted a three-run home run during La Cueva’s 11-run outburst in the fourth inning.
At Eldorado, the Eagles (12-4, 4-0) swept Sandia, 5-3 and 7-6. Gavin Hertrich went 4-for-4 with two RBIs in the Game 2 victory, in which the teams combined for 26 hits.
At Manzano, the Monarchs dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Clovis, 1-0 and 3-1. Manzano southpaw Mitchell Parker lost his second 1-0 decision in as many weeks.
Saturday, Parker, a junior who has given a verbal commitment to New Mexico, struck out 12 in six innings, giving up just two hits and an earned run in the sixth in the opener.
DISTRICT 4-6A: Both Atrisco Heritage and Albuquerque High won Saturday, setting up their Tuesday afternoon showdown at AHS.
The Jaguars (13-5, 4-0) scored four times in the bottom of the sixth to break a 3-3 tie, and eventually held off visiting Rio Grande 7-6.
With two outs, Vicente Trujillo lifted a fly ball to right with the bases loaded, but the ball was misplayed and three runs scored on the error for a 6-3 lead. Andres Quintana then singled home Trujillo for a four-run edge.
The Ravens (5-12, 1-3) shoved home three runs in the top of the seventh and had runners at first and second with one out, but reliever Steven Barboa got out of the jam with a fly ball and strikeout.
The Bulldogs routed Highland 15-1 in five innings. AHS had 10 runs in the fifth inning. Benito Castillo doubled, tripled and had three RBIs for the Bulldogs (9-9, 4-0).
DISTRICT 1-6A: In 1-6A action Saturday, Rio Rancho downed Cibola 10-1, and Volcano Vista landed a huge road victory, 4-3 over Piedra Vista in Farmington.
Dillon Rodriguez drove in two runs for Volcano Vista (10-7, 2-1), which won in nine innings. He also scored the go-ahead run in the ninth. He led off with a double off the fence and came around on Luke Baca’s triple to right.
Trevor Rogers
The Carlsbad senior lefty did not pitch Friday night for the Cavemen at Las Cruces in a doubleheader split with the Bulldawgs. Rogers’ father, Mike, told the Journal on Friday night that his son was having some “preventive maintenance” on his hip.
Softball
DISTRICT 2-6A: Sandia and La Cueva set up a huge doubleheader showdown next Saturday with twinbill sweeps this weekend.
The top-ranked Bears (17-0, 4-0) steamrolled Santa Fe, 20-0 and 16-0.
Andrea Howard had four hits and five RBIs in the opener for La Cueva. She and Jessica McAlister both homered. Rachael Hathoot and Sydney Truett went deep for the Bears in the second game.
At Eldorado, the Matadors (15-2, 4-0) cruised past Eldorado, 8-1 and 10-0. In the first game, Madyson Ramkowsky’s two-out grand slam to left-center in the top of the sixth inning allowed Sandia, which was leading 2-1 at the time, to stretch out to a 6-1 lead. Kara Rodeheaver allowed just two hits and ran her record to 9-1 with the victory in the opener.
Jayleen Burton drove in three runs for the Matadors in the second game, which lasted just five innings. Victoria Reyes (4-1) tossed a 1-hitter for Sandia.
DISTRICT 1-6A: Rio Rancho got its district campaign off to an emphatic start Saturday, whipping Cibola 17-2 in three innings. The Rams scored 12 runs in the third. Venessa Gallegos hit two home runs and drove in six runs for Rio Rancho.
Visiting Piedra Vista (10-8, 2-0) raced out to an early 7-0 lead and beat Volcano Vista 11-5.