Sartans get uplifting win
Rams softball, Clovis baseball win tourneys
It was a bright spot at the end of a frustrating week for the St. Pius baseball team.
The Sartans, foundering a bit at two games under .500 starting the day, scored three runs apiece in each of the first two innings, and St. Pius went on to an 8-2 victory over visiting Hope Christian on Saturday afternoon.
Following a close loss to Sandia on Tuesday and a blowout loss to La Cueva on Thursday, and with district play starting next week, the Sartans (7-8), ranked No. 5 in Class 5A, were anxious to find something positive.
“I don’t know that I would call one game a momentum boost,” St. Pius coach Matt McCoy said, “but we needed to get our heads right.”
Two singles, two walks — one of them with the bases loaded — plus a Hope throwing error and a sacrifice fly gave the Sartans a 3-1 lead after the first inning.
Grant Smith smacked a two-RBI triple to right center in the second as St. Pius stretched out to a 6-1 lead.
That support was plenty for senior starting pitcher Mike Statzula (2-2), who threw six solid innings.
“I think this win is really gonna help us going into district,” said Statzula. “I wouldn’t say there was a pressure (to win), but everyone knew this would be an important win for us.”
For Hope, Class 4A’s top-ranked team, things went awry almost from the start — Evan Torres’ home run to lead off the game against Statzula notwithstanding.
The Huskies (9-2) committed four errors, their pitchers walked six batters and two St. Pius runs scored on wild pitches.
Hope turns around with two more difficult games this week against Sandia on Monday and Volcano Vista on Wednesday. The Huskies, who are playing their home games this year at the new complex on the West Side, are in the midst of a 12-game road stretch; this was game No. 6.
Starter Coy Karler (1-1), the first of six Hope pitchers, took the loss.
— James Yodice