Bears win a pair, also get some help
La Cueva by itself in 2-6A after Eldorado splits with Manzano
It’s not like the La Cueva Bears need any help these days, but they got some on Saturday, anyway.
The top-ranked Bears swept a District 2-6A baseball doubleheader from visiting Sandia, 4-2 and 5-4 — the latter victory coming in walkoff fashion — but La Cueva ended the day with an additional bonus on top of those two victories:
First place all by itself in 2-6A.
With Mitchell Parker of Manzano firing a 3-hitter (with 12 strikeouts) at Eldorado on Saturday in winning the opener of that doubleheader 4-1, the Bears (191, 6-0) took a one-game lead over the Eagles (14-5, 5-1) in the district standings.
La Cueva, which has won 19 straight games, and Eldorado meet in a doubleheader next Saturday at Eldorado at 10 a.m.
Ben Schoneman (6-0) and Jonathan Stroman (who earned the save) pitched the Bears to a win in Game 1, while Chris Campbell hit a solo home run for La Cueva.
In Game 2, Devin Borin and Wes Alexanderson combined on the win, and Richard Ware delivered the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the seventh against the Matadors (9-10, 2-4).
The Eagles, after losing to Parker and the Monarchs in the opener on Saturday, regrouped and captured the second game, 3-1. Parker’s previous two starts had seen Manzano lose 1-0 decisions, to La Cueva and then to Clovis.
The Wildcats on Saturday took a pair from Santa Fe, 5-4 and 8-4, as Clovis (15-7, 4-2) resides in third place in 2-6A.
■ In 1-6A action Saturday, Piedra Vista blanked Cibola 11-0, as the Panthers (17-6, 3-2) pulled into a secondplace tie with Rio Rancho and Cleveland.
Softball
CLEVELAND 7, RIO RANCHO 3: At Cleveland, the Storm took advantage of three first-inning errors by the Rams to take a 5-0 lead and never were threatened the rest of the way in a District 1-6A game.
An RBI double by Aliehs Ortiz in the fifth, with Ortiz scoring on a throwing error, upped the Storm’s lead to 7-0.
The Rams (11-11, 1-2) scored their runs in the sixth, when Cleveland (119, 2-1) committed two errors; Venessa Gallegos, going 3-for-4 to lead her team, drove in the Rams’ last run with her second double.
Catcher Ashlea Ortega and Ortiz had two hits apiece to lead the Storm, which was outhit 13-9 by the Rams.
“We’ve got to limit errors — that’s what’s going to win this district,” Cleveland coach Angel Castillo said. “(We knew) our offense was going to be a little bit different than a lot of home runs like we had last year, so these girls had to figure out different ways to score.
“Just like I said at the beginning of the year, this is going to be the most-exciting 6A softball season ever.”
— Gary Herron CIBOLA 9, PIEDRA VISTA 7: In Farmington, the Cougars (11-7, 2-1 in 1-6A) scored six runs in the fourth inning and overcame a 6-1 deficit against the Panthers (11-9, 3-1).
DISTRICT 2-6A: La Cueva (19-0, 6-0) took two from Sandia (15-4, 4-2) on Saturday, 6-1 and 9-4, to solidify its hold on first place in District 2-6A. Eldorado also is 4-2 after sweeping Manzano.