Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
ARTESIA — The host Artesia Bulldogs proved to be too much for Clovis High in the finals of the Artesia Invitational baseball tournament, cruising to a 12-0 win over the Wildcats in Saturday’s fifth-place game.
Already leading 5-0, the Bulldogs (6-3) scored seven times in the bottom of the third and ended the game after 4 1/2 innings on the 10-run rule after five. Clovis lost to Roswell Goddard 12-9 in Thursday’s quarterfinals before coming back to blank Belen 4-0 on Friday.
Senior left-hander Josh Madrid allowed three singles in cruising to the shutout win. Meantime, senior Nathan Taylor went 3-for-3 with three RBIs, including a two-run triple in the third, and Madrid also singled and doubled in three at-bats.
“We’ve grown a lot as a team,” CHS coach Richard Cruce said. “We’re getting better, but I just feel we’ve got to come ready to play every day.”
On Friday, the Cats avenged an earlier loss to Belen (5-6) as sophomore Will Jordan and senior Jasiahs Jimenez combined on a four-hit shutout. Jordan allowed three hits over six innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts.
“That’s exactly who we are if we make plays and do the little things,” Cruce said. “Will came out and pounded the strike zone, and their pitcher (6-foot-4 junior Tyler Martinez) pounded the strike zone. It was a good high school baseball game.”
Clovis broke on top with a two-run fifth, then added a couple of insurance runs in the seventh. Senior Derek Breeze and freshman Quinine Culvert delivered RBI singles.
The Cats were slated to action on Tuesday, hosting Portales at Bell Park. Their next outing is next Tuesday in a 4:30 p.m. twin bill at Roswell Goddard.
