Cleveland edges Rio Grande in opener
St. Pius almost gets a no-hitter; 4A Hope Christian rolls 30-0
RIO RANCHO — The close games are starting to go Jaren Jackson’s way.
Cleveland’s left-handed pitcher has seen a couple of outstanding efforts go to waste this season, but he logged six solid innings Friday as the Storm defeated visiting Rio Grande 3-2 in the opener of their best-ofthree first-round Class 6A state baseball tournament series.
“I feel like teams underestimate us,” said Jackson (3-1). “And we’re better than what the book says. We all have confidence in each other to get the job done
and go deep (into the tournament).”
Rio Grande (17-10) didn’t help itself much, walking home one run and giving up another on a two-base outfielding error. Treston Shallenberger also hit a towering home run for Cleveland (14-10) as the teams get ready for Game 2 this morning.
Jackson just last week beat No. 2 seed Centennial 2-1.
“They’ve all been fantastic,” Storm coach Shane Shallenberger said of Jackson’s recent starts.
E.J. Rendon of Cleveland drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the first against Rio Grande starter Eliazar Torres for the game’s first run. The Ravens tied it in the fourth with a leadoff double from James Romero and an RBI double by Adam Sanchez.
Jackson singled leading off the bottom half. Rendon followed by singling to right, but the Ravens’ outfielder let the ball get underneath him and the ball rolled to the wall. Roman Rodriguez, running for Jackson, scored easily from first for a 2-1 lead, while Rendon went to third. But Torres escaped further damage.
Shallenberger’s bomb to left made it 3-1 in the fifth for the Storm.
In the sixth, the Ravens had one runner thrown out at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch, as catcher Robert Healy got the ball to Jackson for the tag. “That was a tremendous play by Healy to save a run,” coach Shallenberger said.
And in an unusual moment, Rio Grande had another runner tagged out when a player ran through first base but remained in fair territory and Cleveland picked up on the error.
Rio Grande loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. After a strikeout, the Ravens scored on a wild pitch. But Damien Roddy induced Torres into a ground ball to end the game with the tying run left stranded at third. — James Yodice No. 10 ELDORADO 14, No. 7 RIO RANCHO 3 (5): At Rio Rancho: The Eagles (15-10) sent 13 batters to the plate in the fourth inning, when an infield error paved the way for eight runs, five of them unearned.
After the Rams (16-11) had scored twice in their first at-bat, designated hitter Ricky Sehlmeyer hit a three-run homer off Rio Rancho starter Andrew Duran (5-2) for a 3-2 lead.
Clayton Kempski homered in the Rams’ half of the frame to make it 3-3.
Five hits in the top of the fifth paved the way for three more runs and a fiveinning, mercy-rule ending.
Keith Alvarado scattered seven hits for the Eagles. Sehlmeyer was 3-for-3, and Zack Hofman, Rich Gallegos, Calen Callow and Logan Fairhurst had two hits each for the Eagles (15-10).
— Gary Herron
No. 3 PIEDRA VISTA 6, No. 14 SANDIA 0: In Farmington, senior righty Chase Silseth fired a three-hitter for the Panthers (20-7), striking out 10 Matadors (13-12).
No. 6 VOLCANO VISTA 4, No. 11 HOBBS 3: At Volcano Vista, sophomore Darius Garcia pitched six-hit ball over 6⅓ innings to lead the Hawks (16-9), and Damien Griego suicide-squeezed home a crucial insurance run in the sixth.
The Eagles (13-13) had the tying run at second base with one out in the seventh, but reliever Tyler Campbell came on and retired two of Hobbs’ best hitters to close it out. No. 4 CLOVIS 10, No. 13 MANZANO 0 (6): The Monarchs (12-13) held back ace Mitchell Parker for today’s Game 2 as the Wildcats (225) dominated the opener.
No. 1 LA CUEVA 10, No. 16 ATRISCO HERITAGE 0 (5): At La Cueva, Ben Schoneman (7-1) pitched a four-hitter, and DH Phoenix Autrey drove in four runs for the Bears (23-2). La Cueva scored six runs in the fifth.
ALSO: No. 2 Centennial pulled away late to beat No. 15 Albuquerque High 8-3. … No. 12 Mayfield picked up two runs in the seventh and upset fifth-seeded Carlsbad 3-2.
Class 5A
No. 3 seed St. Pius and No. 4 Belen cruised to Game 1 victories Friday, but seventh-seeded Albuquerque Academy was beaten 10-5 by No. 10 Santa Teresa.
Sartans sophomore lefty Hayden Walker was oneout from a no-hitter before giving up a double with two outs in the top of the seventh. He pitched a complete game for St. Pius (17-9), striking out 10 as it defeated No. 14 Kirtland Central 7-2.
In Belen, junior left-hander Jadrian Martinez (9-1) pitched a complete game for the Eagles in their 9-2 victory over No. 13 Aztec. Belen (21-6) scored six runs in the sixth to break open a tight game. Thomas Wisneski drove in three runs.
Tim Froese drove in four runs for the Desert Warriors in their road win at Academy (17-10).
No. 1 Goddard — with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat Roswell 3-2 — and No. 2 Farmington also won their openers.
Class 4A
No. 1 Hope Christian (216) and No. 6 Bernalillo had easy victories. At Sandia, Hope, which had 25 hits and three innings with at least eight runs, pounded 16thseeded Navajo Prep 30-0.
The Spartans (18-9) needed only five innings to down East Mountain 11-1. Aaron Neely and Daniel Gutierrez sparked the offense. Isaiah Chavez pitched a complete game.