STORM SURVIVES ELEMENTS, HAWKS
Storm’s Acosta helps fluster Volcano Vista
The Cleveland High School baseball team won its first district championship Saturday, beating Volcano Vista 3-0 in windy, icebox-like conditions in Rio Rancho.
RIO RANCHO — The Cleveland baseball program has done a whole slew of winning since the school opened in 2009.
This, however, was something new. Ezra Acosta and Jack Murano combined on a two-hitter Saturday afternoon as Cleveland blanked visiting Volcano Vista 3-0 to nail down the 1-6A championship — the first district title for the Storm.
“It’s fantastic,” said Acosta, who ran his record to 8-0 by throwing the front six innings. “Everyone out here is my brother right now. It feels so good to finally put one together.”
On a day that felt far more like December than it did late April — and a day on which just about every other baseball and softball team in the metro area had games postponed until this week — Cleveland (20-6 overall, 6-2 in 1-6A) won a head-tohead showdown for the 1-6A crown and likely assured itself of being the No. 2 seed for the Class 6A state tournament, behind only La Cueva.
“I think it’s awesome, for all the people who have played at Cleveland,” Storm coach Shane Shallenberger said, talking about this first district championship. “To get this one is so satisfying. Especially in this district, where it’s a grind and a war every day.”
To wit: The fourth-place team in 1-6A, Rio Rancho, won 18 games.
Saturday’s result left Cleveland in first, Piedra Vista (19-7, 5-3) in second place, Volcano Vista (13-11, 5-3) in third and the Rams (18-8, 4-4) in fourth. Piedra Vista shut out Rio Rancho 6-0 in Farmington on Saturday.
With the wind blowing in, runs figured to be at a premium Saturday, and they were. This naturally put the onus on pitching and defense, and Cleveland had a noticeable edge in both categories.
Acosta was a bit erratic in the first three innings, but pitched out of two early jams. He retired 10 in a row before giving way to the 6-foot-7 Murano, a University of New Mexico recruit, in the seventh. That was also a 1-2-3 inning, as the final 13 Hawks to bat were retired.
With two on base in the first, Acosta got a strikeout, and then Murano, who started at third base, caught a line drive to end that threat.
In the third, a walk, a single and a hit batsman loaded the bases with two outs for the Hawks. Luke Baca of Volcano Vista grounded to Storm shortstop Treston Shallenberger, whose throw to first was low. But it was dug out beautifully by sophomore first baseman Jaren Jackson — a play that saved at least two, and possibly even three, runs. It was arguably the biggest play of the game.
“I expect throws like that,” said Jackson, who also added an RBI single in the sixth for an an insurance run and 3-0 advantage, “so whenever it came, I was ready for it.”
Said Acosta of his defense, which didn’t commit an error: “I just trust them. They’ve been doing it the whole season for me.”
Volcano Vista starter Jarrod Potter was not nearly so fortunate.
Hawks third baseman Evan Ruiz made two errors in the second inning, leading to a pair of unearned runs for Cleveland. Murano and Avry Ybarra delivered RBI singles for the Storm.
“Now it’s time to go get a blue trophy,” Jackson said.
Postponements, notes
All three District 2-6A baseball doubleheaders scheduled for Saturday — La Cueva-Clovis, EldoradoSanta Fe and Sandia-Manzano — were put back to Monday.
Eldorado-Santa Fe and Sandia-Manzano softball games also were pushed back to Monday; La Cueva’s two games at Clovis will be Wednesday.
Cleveland-Volcano Vista softball was another casualty, and it, too, will be played instead on Monday.
As will the final three innings of the District 4-6A baseball title game between Albuquerque High and Atrisco Heritage. AHS leads 3-2 in the top of the fifth. The game resumes at 3:30 p.m. Monday at Atrisco Heritage.
■ Hobbs on Friday night clinched the 3-6A baseball title, splitting two games with Carlsbad. Trevor Rogers (9-0) of the Cavemen struck out 15 and gave up one unearned run in a complete-game three-hitter in the Cavemen’s 3-1 victory over the Eagles in the first game. Rogers is up to 115 strikeouts in 52 innings this season. He lowered his ERA to 0.40.
■ The state baseball brackets will be announced at 11 p.m. Monday.