Storm dodges upset with 4-run 7th
Valley takes out No. 4 seed Hobbs
RIO RANCHO — On Friday, the first day of the Class 6A state baseball tournament, none of the top eight seeds had an easier time winning than Cleveland.
Almost 24 hours later, the host Storm was fortunate not to have been the biggest upset victim of the first weekend.
No. 15 seed Mayfield put Cleveland through the proverbial wringer — and then some — on a marathon Saturday. The Trojans beat the Storm 13-7 in Game 2, forcing a winner-take-series Game 3.
In the decider, which lasted a minute under three hours, Mayfield had a three-run lead starting the bottom of the seventh. But No. 2 Cleveland walked the Trojans off with a dramatic four-run outburst and a stunning 15-14 victory.
Sophomore Jaren Jackson’s two-out single to right scored Jack Murano with the winning run.
“I had faith in myself,” Jackson said. “And I knew everyone else did.”
The Storm (22-7) trailed 14-11 after Mayfield (15-13) scored five runs in the sixth inning, then tacked on what appeared to be two crushing insurance runs in the top of the seventh.
But with one out in the bottom half, Cleveland went off on Mayfield reliever Will Haywood.
Treston Shallenberger’s fourth hit of the game was an infield single. He was tripled home by Jason Herrera, who scored moments later on Giacomo Musante’s single.
After Robert Healy lined out to left, Murano, a junior who has committed to New Mexico, lashed a double down the right-field line, easily scoring Musante with the tying run. Murano took third on an error and scored the winner a couple of pitches later.
“I didn’t think we were out of it,” Cleveland coach Shane Shallenberger said.
Game 3 rocked back and forth. At 2-2, Cleveland scored four in the bottom half to lead 6-2. Mayfield put up five in the top of the fourth to lead 7-6. Cleveland scored five of its own in the bottom half — including a towering two-run home run by Shallenberger, who broke out of a slump — and went ahead 11-7.
Murano struggled on the mound in Saturday’s opener, so for him, his Game 3-tying double was redemption.
“That first game was on me,” he said. “And I had to get it back.”
— James Yodice No. 8 RIO RANCHO 6, No. 9 ELDORADO 2: At Rio Rancho, future Lobo Garrett Gouldsmith closed out the Eagles as the Rams (20-8) advanced.
Starter Nick Silcox (5-4) was one out away from a complete game, but walked his final batter on his 122nd pitch.
Enter Gouldsmith, who earned the save Friday night, to get Blake Thies on a popup for the final out.
Silcox’s freshman outfielder brother, Ethan, had supplied a two-run, bases-loaded single in the sixth to make it a 5-2 game. An Eldorado (179) infield error allowed the game’s final run.
— Gary Herron
No. 1 LA CUEVA 10, No. 16 OÑATE 0 (6): At La Cueva, Ben Schoneman (9-0) gave up just one hit to the Knights (10-16), in the first inning. He retired the final 16 batters.
Isaac Standridge had a two-run triple for La Cueva (25-1), Jack Pineda added a two-run triple and Richard Ware belted a two-run homer to straightaway center, his sixth of the season.
No. 13 VALLEY 16, No. 4 HOBBS 4: At Hobbs, Nolan Kuhn, who drove in the game-winner Friday in a 1-0, 10-inning victory, had three doubles and five RBIs as the Vikings (18-8) finished a sweep of the Eagles (17-11). Isaiah Chavez (6-3) went 5⅔ innings for the win.
Valley blew the game open with 10 runs in the seventh. The Vikings’ defense also recorded a key double play in the bottom of the fifth, leading 6-4 when Hobbs had the bases loaded with one out.
No. 5 CARLSBAD 8, No. 12 ALBUQUERQUE HIGH 0: In Carlsbad, Will Fiala was 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and Trevor Rogers was 3-for-3 with an RBI as the defending state champion Cavemen (217) chased AHS (14-12) starter Robby Herrera with five early runs. Carlsbad starter Nate Arrington threw five shutout innings to get the win.
No. 3 PIEDRA VISTA 8, No.
14 ATRISCO HERITAGE 1: In Farmington, Andrew Caliendo’s two-out, two-run single staked the Panthers (21-7) to a 3-0 lead and they cruised from there in eliminating the Jaguars (16-10). Brendan Anderson fired a two-hitter for Piedra Vista, striking out eight.
No. 7 VOLCANO VISTA 13, No. 10 LAS CRUCES 2 (5): At Volcano Vista, Jarrod Potter (6-3) threw a four-hitter as the Hawks (15-11) scored six in the second inning and swept the Bulldawgs (16-10).
Dillon Gassoway drove in five runs for Volcano Vista, which won its 18th straight first-round game. Three RBIs came on a double in the second inning, two more on a bases-loaded single in the third.
Class 5A
No. 3 ST. PIUS 3, No. 14 BELEN 2: At St. Pius, the Sartans (18-9) broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth as they advanced. The go-ahead run scored when one St. Pius baserunner, Ryan McGaha, got caught in a rundown between second base and third base. A teammate at third, Dylan DiLorenzo, took off and scored while the rundown was taking place.
No. 4 ALBUQUERQUE ACADEMY 1, No. 13 GRANTS 0: At Academy, Sebastian Baca struck out eight in a three-hitter, and Nick Williams plated Thomas Braybrooks with a safety squeeze in the fourth inning.
Class 4A
No. 1 HOPE CHRISTIAN 10, No. 16 EAST MOUNTAIN 0 (5): At Sandia, Jerrod Miller threw five innings of threehit ball as the Huskies (21-7) sailed into the quarterfinals.
ALSO: No. 6 and host Bernalillo won two games Saturday from 11th-seeded Robertson, 5-1 and 8-4, to come from behind in that series. … Defending state champ Sandia Prep was knocked out by host No. 5 Taos following a 5-4 victory. … Host Silver eliminated No. 13 Moriarty, 13-3.