Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Portales senior Mikaela Montie gets congratulated by coach Amanda Bonner after a single in the second-game of Saturday's District 4-4A doubleheader at Wheeler Park. The Rams claimed 14-2 and 15-0 wins.
Portales shortstop Micaela Garcia tracks down a ground ball in the third inning of the second-game of Saturday's District 4-4A doubleheader.
PORTALES — The Rams finished their final softball homestand of the year on a high note, after sweeping district rival Moriarty with a 29-run performance in Saturday's doubleheader. Portales took Game 1 in five innings, 14-2, while needing just four innings to take Game 2, 15-0 to move the winning streak to 10 games.
"A good way to end the season," Rams coach Nathan Dodge said. "It took us a little bit to get going, and it's hard to adjust to slower speed. But we did make an adjustment and everybody started hitting the ball. We did a good job."
Portales (13-9, 8-0) actually got into a 2-0 hole against the Pintos (6-15, 2-6) after the first inning of Game 1, but never trailed the rest of the afternoon, thereafter. The Rams scored seven runs in the second inning, two in the third and five more in the fourth to take the 14-2 victory.
Adrianna Garcia went the distance in the circle, striking out two and allowing just six hits. Seven Rams had a hit and four had two-plus hits, led by Abi Cameron's 3-for-4, 4 RBI performance.
In the second game, it took a little more time for the Rams to get going. A pair of wild pitches scored Mikaela Montiel and Cameron in the second inning, putting the Rams ahead, 2-0. However, it was the fourth inning in which the Ram bats finally came to life.
A Devyn Lopez bases loaded two-run double over the third base bag scored Lillie Saiz and Jeuliece Chavez, before Cameron made it back-to-back two-run doubles on her base hit to the left field corner, extending the Portales lead to 6-0.
A Kim Hay single, a dropped ball in center field, a Saiz sacrifice bunt, a bases loaded walk, a hit batsman, a Cameron sac fly to right field and a three-run error concluded the scoring for the Rams in their 13-run fourth inning. Hay finished with four RBIs, while Lopez and Cameron had three each. Garcia, meanwhile, allowed just one hit in four innings of work.
Portales now embarks on a four-game roadtrip to end the regular season next week, as it looks to clinch a district title. The Rams will play a doubleheader at Ruidoso on Tuesday afternoon, before finishing off against second-place Hope Christian with a doubleheader on Friday afternoon.
"We gotta go to Albuquerque to play (in the state tournament) anyways, we don't get to stay at home," Dodge said, laughing. "So I guess it doesn't matter. Get something going, we gotta go take care of business and win four more games."
