Bloomfield eliminates Rams

In Game 3 of a high school playoff series, it sometimes comes down to the little things.

The Portales Rams struggled much of the day, then positioned themselves to win the first-round Class 3A state series with a three-run sixth inning that tied the game and looked like it would turn into more.

But a gamble backfired when Grant Wagner popped up an attempted suicide squeeze and Bloomfield first baseman Tyler Barker dove to catch the ball off the top of the grass, turning it into a double play at third base. The Bobcats scratched out a run in the seventh and took the series with a 7-6 victory on Sunday at Ram Field.

Joshua Lucero: PNT correspondent

Portales senior Zach Blaeser steals second base in the bottom of the seventh inning of Sunday's deciding game in a Class 3A state best-of-3, first-round series against Bloomfield at Ram Field. Blaeser was carrying the potential tying run, but was strandedas the Rams dropped a 7-6 decision to the Bobcats.

Bloomfield catcher Chris Garcia was hit by a pitch leading off the seventh, and eventually scored what turned into the winning run on an error.

"We just came up short," PHS coach Arturo Ontiveros said. "We had plenty of opportunities; we just didn't make the most of them."

Ontiveros, who has been the Rams' head coach since 2005, said Sunday's game will probably be his last because of his duties as PHS principal. He led the Rams to a state runnerup finish in 2009 and the 3A state championship last season.

Truth be told, the Bobcats (19-12), seeded ninth in the 16-team Class 3A state tournament, seemed in control for much of the game, building a 6-2 lead over the eighth-seeded Rams (16-11) with the help of two-run homers by Kyle Thompson in the third and Elisha Journey in the fourth.

Sophomore right-hander Luke Duggan pitched into the sixth for the Bobcats before loading the bases on one-out singles by Daniel Sanchez and River Fine and a walk to Omar Legardo. Journey took over at that point and gave up RBI infield hits to Jarret Faust and Daniel Zapata around a bases-loaded walk to Darin Bonem, who drove in four runs overall with a two-run homer in the second and a sacrifice fly in the fourth, before he escaped with the double play.

"Darin's come a long way," Ontiveros said. "He hit about .350 for us this year, and he had a great game today."

The Rams tried to mount a final comeback in the seventh as Zach Blaeser led off with a single and Sanchez drew a one-out walk, but Journey got Fine on strikes and Legardo on a fly ball to center to end it.

Bobcats coach Frank DeHoyos was more than pleased with Duggan's outing.

"Luke's been doing a great job for us since the day he came into the program," DeHoyos said. "He's done a great job for us all year. He's just a competitor."

Fine took the ball for the Rams and also pitched into the sixth inning. Sanchez relieved with two out and eventually took the loss.

The Bobcats will take on top-seeded Hope Christian in a 1 p.m. quarterfinal game on Thursday at Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho. They lost a doubleheader at home to the Huskies earlier this season.

DeHoyos knows his team's work is cut out.

"That's a good baseball team," he said. "They're rightfully the No. 1 team in the state."

Class 3A state tournament

Round of 16, best-of-3 series

Saturday

First game

Portales 11, Bloomfield 10

Bloomfield 002 007 1 —10 8 6

Portales 400 412 x —11 6 1

Tyler Barker, Josh Archibeque (4) and Chris Garcia; Zach Blaeser, Grant Wagner (6), Blaeser (7) and Matt Martinez. W — Wagner. L — Barker. Sv — Blaeser. Top hitters — Bloomfield: Archibeque 1-2, 3B, RBI, run, 2 BBs; Barker 1-5, 2-run 1B; Garcia 1-4, 2-run 2B; B.B. Miramontes 2-4, 2-run 1B, run. Portales: Jarret Faust 2-4, run, BB, SB; Wagner 2-3, RBI, run.

Second game

Bloomfield 7, Portales 2

Bloomfield 002 041 0 — 7 8 0

Portales 010 100 0 — 2 3 5

Kyle Thompson and Garcia; Daniel Zapata and Martinez. W — Thompson. L — Zapata. Top hitters — Ruidoso: Barker 3-4, 2B, 3 RBIs; Elisha Journey 1-3, 2B, RBI, run, BB. Portales: River Fine 1-3, run, HBP; Faust 1-2, 2B, run, BB.

Sunday

Third game

Bloomfield 7, Portales 6

Bloomfield 202 020 1 — 7 9 0

Portales 020 013 0 — 6 9 2

Luke Duggan, Journey (6) and Garcia; Fine, Daniel Sanchez (6) and Martinez. W — Journey. L — Sanchez. Top hitters — Bloomfield: Garcia 2-4, 2B, RBI, HBP; Thompson 2-3, 2-run HR, BB; Journey 2-4, 2B, 2-run HR. Portales: Blaeser 2-4; Fine 2-4, run; Faust 2-3, 2B, RBI, run; Darin Bonem 1-1, 2-run HR, 4 RBIs, SF, BB. Records — Bloomfield 19-12, Portales 16-11.