Cats take third at Goddard; Rams fifth at Eunice

ROSWELL — Clovis High’s baseball team bounced back from a disappointing loss on Friday night.

Junior Connor Langrell threw a two-hitter and the Wildcats jumped on Miyamura early to beat the Patriots 9-1 on Saturday in the third-place game of the Roswell Goddard Invitational.

The win came on the heels of a 10-3 semifinal loss to Alamogordo.

“After last night’s tough loss, the kids swung the bats really well today,” CHS coach Richard Cruce said. “I’m proud of how we came out.

“Connor pounded the (strike) zone and never really got into trouble.”

Langrell struck out nine, walked two and hit two, allowing the Patriots (5-6) only a pair of singles. Miyamura’s run in the third inning was unearned.

Cam Kuykendall drove in three runs for the Cats (8-4), hitting an RBI single in a two-run second and sparking a three-run sixth with a two-run double. Senior Traejn Reames and junior Kayden Shober also had two of the Cats’ 12 hits.

Meantime on Friday, facing their former District 4-6A rivals, the Cats were in the game until the Tigers erupted for a four-spot in the top of the seventh.

Alamo (7-3), which faced Goddard in Saturday night’s championship game, pounded 12 hits off three CHS hurlers. Senior Jacob Gerber had the big blow in the seventh with a three-run double.

Senior Jarod Johnson went six innings to pick up the win for the Tigers. The Cats had six hits, with junior Tomas Gallegos going 2-for-3 with a run.

The Cats return to action on Thursday, facing host Rio Rancho in the first round of another tournament at 6:30 p.m.

Rams thump Tularosa — The Portales Rams captured fifth place in the eight-team Cardinal Classic on Saturday, blowing out Tularosa 13-0.

PHS (2-2) did most of its damage early, scoring six times each in the first and second innings. Joel Legarda was credited with seven RBIs against Tularosa (2-2), while Emilio Lovato and Isaac Gomez drove in two runs apiece.

Damian Belden earned the win on a two-hitter in a game shortened to 4 1/2 innings by the 10-run rule.

Texico played later Saturday in the tournament’s championship game.

The Rams’ next outing is in a 5 p.m. clash on Tuesday at Lovington.