Rams post sweep over Ruidoso

A baseball game is rarely won in the first inning, but the Ruidoso Warriors found out the hard way that it’s possible to lose a game that early as the Portales Rams turned one Warrior error into seven runs en route to a 15-5 victory in the first game of their District 4-4A doubleheader on Tuesday and completed the sweep with a 9-3 nightcap win.

After Jacob Salgado drew a leadoff walk in the first game, Joe Ortega hit the ball to the Ruidoso shortstop who promptly mishandled the ball, allowing both men to reach base safely. Emilio Lovato then field out to left field which would have ended the inning, but instead gave the Rams runners at first and second with only one out and made the Warriors pay by getting five hits and sending 11 men to the plate before the inning ended and gave the Rams a 7-1 lead.

“We kicked that ground ball which should have been a double play,” Ruidoso coach Gilbert Alvarado said. “We really should have gotten out with nobody scoring but (Portales) was really hitting well. It was a good game by them. We just have to play better in the field.”

Staff photo: Matthew Asher

Juan Espanosa rounds third base in the first inning following Jacob Salgado’s double. Espanosa would score on the play and Portales beat Ruidoso 15-5 in five innings.

Portales (8-6, 4-0) knocked out Ruidoso starting pitcher O.J. Herrera after that lone inning.

Senior Grant Wagner did a good job of limiting Ruidoso through the first four innings as he had given up just two runs off two hits while his defense stranded six runners. Then came the fifth inning, along with a harder rainfall and everything went south as he gave up four straight singles prompting Portales coach Dusty Nusser to go to his bullpen and bring in sophomore Josiah Lucero with the bases loaded and no outs.

The rain was clearly a factor as Lucero proceeded to hit the first two batters, giving Ruidoso three runs and cut the lead 10-5.

“It was really wet and the ball was really slick,” Lucero said of the two hit batters. “The ball got away from me. I just kept trying it off to get a good grip on the ball.”

Lucero finally got control of the ball and struck out the next two batters. With the bases still juiced Alex Bates, who had already driven in a run in the first inning, hit a frozen rope between first and second. Fortunately for Portales, second baseman Chris Aranda was in the perfect position to make a jumping catch to stop the bleeding.

Nusser was pleased with the work of his reliever.

“Grant got a little bit tired,” Nusser said. “He had to battle those guys. Ruidoso did a good job of being patient at the plate so Grant had to work a little bit. We got into a jam, Josiah came in and we only gave up the two HBP runs so he did a heck of a job coming in for us.”

With turnabout being fair play, the Rams went into the bottom of the fifth inning and had their first six batters safely reach base before the first out was recorded. The Rams picked up the five runs they needed to run-rule the Warriors after Juan Espanosa hit the fourth base hit of the inning, scoring Jordan Garcia from third base to end the game 15-5.

Both Nusser and Alvarado knew this series would be a good measuring stick to see who would reign atop the district but know this race is far from over.

“We thought this would be a good doubleheader and a good test to see who stays on top of the district,” Alvarado said. “Playing here is hard. In the seven years I’ve been here I’ve never seem them field a team that wasn’t competitive.”

The second game went the same way for the Rams as they used a five-run sixth inning to put the game out of reach for Ruidoso. Emilio Lovato pitched the first six innings for Portales and then Salgado finished the game.

Ruidoso (10-8, 4-2) had trouble hitting as they picked up just two hits to score their three runs in the nightcap.

For Nusser, the first part of the series against Ruidoso has gone according to plan.

“Our goal is to sweep (the games) at home and see what can happen at their place,” he said.

The Rams will stay at home for a single non-district game against West Las Vegas on Friday with a 7 p.m. start.