Clovis no longer flying under the radar
Wildcats top Abq. Academy
RIO RANCHO — A month ago, coaches were whispering their name.
With the second half of the prep baseball season nearly upon us, the Clovis Wildcats are nobody’s secret anymore. This might even be Class 6A’s most unappreciated — and unknown — team.
Clovis on Thursday evening walked off Class 5A power Albuquerque Academy 1-0 in the first round of the Sal Puentes baseball tournament at Rio Rancho High School. The Wildcats joined the host Rams, plus Cleveland and Hobbs, in today’s semifinals.
The Storm and Eagles meet at 4 p.m., followed at 6:30 by Rio Rancho and Clovis.
The championship game is 3 p.m. Saturday.
“We’re trying to stay below the radar,” Clovis coach Richard Cruce said. “But we put together a schedule to challenge these guys, and they’re responding to the challenge so far.”
Clovis (10-3) got a twoout, pinch-hit single to center from senior E.J. Gonzales, scoring Sebastian Nuñez from second base in the bottom of seventh against the Chargers (4-6).
“We don’t like to have expectations,” Gonzales said. “We want to come into games with people not knowing what we have.”
That wish is unlikely to gain any traction going forward. Cruces’ seniorladed group (there are 12 on this team) has been up against a demanding nondistrict schedule from the start, including matchups against Piedra Vista, Carlsbad and Cleveland.
All of this is leading up to the start of District 2-6A play next weekend, when the Wildcats will have to deal with three formidable teams — Sandia, La Cueva and Eldorado — and also Manzano’s left-handed stud pitcher, Mitchell Parker.
Garrett Langrell (1-1) got the victory in relief for Clovis, having pitched only the seventh inning. Starter
Nuñez gave the Wildcats six excellent innings, holding Academy to one hit. RIO RANCHO 8, ARTESIA 3: In the final game on Thursday night, Rio Rancho broke a 2-2 tie with five runs in the bottom of the fifth off Bulldogs reliever Kaden Chumbley.
After a suicide squeeze scored the first run of that outburst for Rio Rancho (12-4), Mitchell Winter slapped a two-run single to right for a 5-2 advantage. A wild pitch scored another run, and Avdiel Ramos drove home another run with a single.
Noah Brewer homered in the fourth for the Rams, tying the game 2-2 with Artesia (6-4).
Nick Silcox recorded a 15-out win in relief for the Rams. Starter Andrew Duran was pulled after pitching to just three batters and giving up two runs on a Taylor Null tworun double. Silcox pitched the Rams into the sixth.
CLEVELAND 6, GODDARD 0: Storm senior righty Jack Murano (1-1), a University of New Mexico signee, fired an economical (81 pitches) completegame two-hitter, striking out seven Rockets as Cleveland (7-4) handed Goddard (7-1) its first loss of the year.
Goddard’s two hits came off the bat of another UNM signee, Cameron Stevenson. HOBBS 10, HIGHLAND
0 (5): In the opener, senior right-hander Gavin Hardison tossed a two-hitter for the Eagles (4-7), striking out 11 Hornets (2-8).
Jaden Hutchins doubled and homered for Hobbs.
ALSO THURSDAY: La Cueva battered St. Pius 14-1 in six innings, and Volcano Vista downed Eldorado 6-4.