Portales, Hope Christian get tough wins to reach finals
Top two seeds meet for state title today
Portales had to rally and Hope Christian survived a scare, but the two teams advanced to reach the Class 4A state championship game with thrilling wins Friday at Santa Ana Star Field.
Top-seeded Hope will face No. 2 Portales today at noon at Isotopes Park. No. 2 PORTALES 4, No. 3 ST.
MICHAEL’S 3: With their season hanging in the balance, the Rams’ veterans at the top of the lineup came through in a big way.
Four Portales seniors produced hits in the bottom of the seventh inning — capped by Joe Ortega’s game-winning RBI — as the Rams (22-7) staged a threerun rally to stun the Horsemen.
According to Portales coach Dustin Nusser, the Rams had St. Michael’s right where they wanted them heading into their final at-bat.
“We knew going into the seventh we had a chance because we were at (the part of) the lineup we wanted to be at,” Nusser said. “Those are the type of kids that we have now leading our team, and it’s all about them right now.”
The Horsemen (19-12) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and chased Portales starter Josiah Lucero in the second inning before tacking on another run in the top of the fifth to go up 3-0. Meanwhile, the Rams struggled to solve St. Michael’s pitcher Jason Romero for much of the game until center fielder Emilio Lovato broke the ice with an inside-the-park homer in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to 3-1.
That was just one of five hits allowed by Romero through the first six innings, but his luck rapidly changed in the Rams’ final at-bat.
Darion Ontiveros led off the frame with a bloop single and Lovato followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Then, first baseman Alex Galvan tied the game at 3-3 with a single to set the stage for Ortega.
Ortega’s heroics weren’t limited to the plate, however. He also relieved Lucero on the mound in the second and held the Horsemen to one run the rest of the way.
“I was most confident that we were going to come back,” Ortega said. —Tristen Critchfield
No. 1 HOPE CHRISTIAN 18, No.
4 SILVER 10: Brandon Bagon hit a grand slam off the top of the left-field fence in the sixth inning to help the Huskies (23-7) recover after blowing almost all of a 9-1 lead.
The Colts (20-10) chipped away at the deficit but still entered the sixth trailing 10-3 before scoring six runs in that inning to pull within 10-9. Bagon, however, reversed the momentum, sparking the Huskies to an eight-run rally with his first homer of the season.
“You have to credit them for fighting back,” Hope coach Glen Copeland said. “And I give my kids a ton of credit for answering back. Brandon Bagon stepping up and hitting a grand slam and then us even adding on to that and really making it secure.”
It is Hope’s first time in the finals since losing to Sandia Prep in 2004.
“I’ve been hitting a lot in batting practice. I have to give it to my coach, (Josh) Usher,” Bagon said. “He’s been working with me every day in batting practice. It’s not about me; it’s about the team.”
Although this was his first homer, Bagon has been getting closer with his timing, Copeland said.
“Brandon is just, I call him country strong,” the coach said. “His family is from Iowa. I knew that ball was coming sometime this year. He hadn’t hit one yet, but I started seeing in batting practice more shots like that. He just didn’t miss it. He’s just a sophomore pup, and I look for more good things from him in the future.”
The Huskies jumped to a 6-0 lead after two innings, then led 9-1 after four, with pitcher Jerrod Miller looking strong on the mound and going 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBIs.
“Basically the thing is, Jerrod Miller did a good job for five innings,” Copeland said.
“It’s kind of blur right now, but in every game, there’s going to be a time in every game where the ball just gets a little slippery.” — Glen Rosales