Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
RIO RANCHO — Mesilla Valley broke open a tight game with two seventh-inning runs for a 5-1 win over Melrose on Thursday in a Class 1-2A state baseball final.
The seventh-seeded Buffaloes (11-9-1), who upended second-seeded district rival Floyd 13-2 in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, scored first against the SonBlazers. Junior Kendall Burnett walked and stole second base in the bottom of the second inning, then reached third on a SonBlazers throwing error and scored when a pickoff throw to third sailed into left field.
Sixth-seeded Mesilla Valley (12-4), which beat Gateway Christian 4-0 in the quarters, took the lead with two in the top of the third. Pitcher Brock Maddox held the Buffs in check through six innings, then returned the mound to get the final out when Melrose put two on in the bottom of the seventh.
The SonBlazers will face top-seeded Lordsburg, which routed Mora 21-6 on Friday, in today’s 9 a.m. championship game at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque.
Burnett started and went 2 1/3 innings for the Buffs. Junior Blake DeVaney took over and pitched the remainder of the contest.
Melrose’s two hits included a triple by junior Sterling Sena.
