Rams reach semis

STAFF WRITER

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RIO RANCHO — Last year, the Bloomfield Bobcats run-ruled Portales 11-1 in the Class 4A state baseball quarterfinals. This time, Dusty Nusser and his team made sure history wouldn’t repeat itself as the Rams bested Bloomfield 4-2 in Thursday’s 4A quarterfinals at Rio Rancho H.S.

The Rams (22-6), seeded second in the 16-team field, advanced to a noon semifinal game today against sixth-seeded Cobre, which upended No. 3 Hope Christian 4-2 in Thursday’s second game.

Courtesy photo: Liz Saiz

The Rams mob sophomore catcher Joel Legarda, right, after he hit a home run in Thursday's game at Rio Rancho.

Currently riding a 19-game winning streak, Portales had to play from behind as Bloomfield got the first run of the game in the fourth inning when Luke Deifenbaugh hit an RBI double to score Kenyon Lusk from third base.

That wouldn’t last long, though, as the Rams made Bloomfield pay for giving them two free baserunners, one in each of the fifth and sixth innings.

In the fifth, senior Chris Aranda reached on an error and stole second base. Two batters later, sophomore Joel Legarda hit a two-run homer to give the Rams a 2-1 lead that they wouldn’t surrender.

“He’s been swinging well the last couple of weeks,” Nusser said of Legarda. “He got a pitch up in the zone and he hit it up pretty well.”

Correspondent photo: Nick Fojud

Senior Grant Wagner winds up while pitching against Bloomfield Thursday morning.

Portales padded its lead with two more in the sixth. Junior Emilio Lovato was hit by a pitch leading off and came around to score on a triple by senior Grant Wagner.

Bloomfield (18-11) made some noise in the seventh when Deifenbaugh hit his second double of the game and Corbin Nelson followed two batters later with an RBI single.

Wagner had some trouble in the top of that inning as the next two batters reached base on an error and a walk, respectively. That prompted Nusser to give the ball to Lovato, who needed just three pitches to strike out Orlando Frias and send the Rams to the semifinals.

“Grant gave us his best effort again,” Nusser said. “I don’t know if he had his best stuff, but he was hit by a pitch on his butt in the third inning. That was his lift leg and it was tightening on him a little bit.

“He competed pretty good after that. He’s been our guy all year. That’s what we expected and he delivered.”

Wagner didn’t just pitch well, he also did damage at the plate with a triple and a double. In threw 118 pitches in 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking five while allowing four hits and just one earned run.

Cobre (19-9), who beat Hope Christian 4-2. Even though Cobre (19-9) is the No. 6 seed , Nusser isn’t looking past the Indians.

“Cobre is tough,” Nusser said. “Coach (Artie) Sanchez does a heck of a job with them every year. You don’t ever want to run into them.

“Once you get into the final eight teams, everybody’s good. We’re happy to be here at this point, but our goal was to come here and win three games and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”