Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
HOBBS — Clovis High’s baseball team wasn’t able to salvage one on Saturday in a six-team tournament hosted by Hobbs H.S.
Teams from the southern part of New Mexico faced squads from the north, and the northern contingents got the better of the Wildcats in the three-game slate.
After losing to Los Lunas 8-1 on Thursday, Clovis absorbed a 14-0 setback to Rio Rancho Cleveland on Friday. Then on Saturday, a seventh-inning rally fell short and the Cats (1-3) lost to Belen 7-5.
“After a tough one yesterday, the kids came out and competed today,” Clovis coach Richard Cruce said after Saturday’s tilt. “If we get timely hits early, it’s a different ballgame, but they showed a lot of growth today.”
Leading 3-2, the Eagles (4-2) tallied four times in the top of the seventh and held on as Clovis rallied for three in the bottom half on a two-run triple by junior Joseph Albert and sophomore Will Jordan’s sacrifice fly. Junior Malakhi Chavez survived the late burst and pitched a complete game for Belen, allowing seven hits.
Cruce said the Cats left the bases loaded in both the first and fourth innings, when the game was still scoreless.
Jordan went six innings on the mound, allowing three runs on eight hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.
Three players went 2-for-4 for the Eagles, including senior Tyler Martinez with two doubles, two runs and a pair of RBIs. Albert finished 2-for-4 and scored twice for the Cats.
In Friday’s loss, the Storm (5-1), which lost to Hobbs 7-6 in eight innings on Thursday and then pounded Artesia 14-4 on Saturday, plated four runs in the first and 10 in the second, winning on the 10-run rule after five.
Senior Roman Branaugh tossed a two-hit shutout for Cleveland, coached by former Clovis coach Shane Shallenberger. Meantime, seniors D.J. Sandoval, Jace Dominic and Braylen Elzy combined for eight hits, four runs scored and seven RBIs, while junior Austin Verela belted a three-run double in the second.
Clovis travels to Roswell for a similar event this weekend, facing Ruidoso on Thursday and Gallup on Friday in 4 p.m. starts before closing out with Moriarty at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
