Rains, PHS top Rockets

PORTALES - Hagen Rains pretty much did it all on Thursday.

The Portales High senior knocked in four runs with a home run and a single, and allowed three hits and only one earned run while pitching into the seventh as the Rams defeated Roswell Goddard 7-4 in District 4-4A baseball at Ram Field.

Rains staked the Rams (9-12, 1-3 district) to a 2-1 lead with a two-run homer to left in the first, then put Portales in front for good with a two-run single through the right side in a five-run fifth.

Rains' hit was the only one for PHS in that frame as the Rams took advantage of a hit batsman, three walks and an error.

"It was one of my best performances," said Rains, who went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and striking out 10. "I usually don't speak about myself like that, but it was just a phenomenal day."

Junior right-hander Dustin Hardwick blanked the Rams until the fifth, and the Rockets (10-10, 3-1) grabbed a 4-2 lead on center fielder Caleb Seely's two-out, two-run double in the top of the fifth.

PHS coach Ruben Tellez pulled Rains after 114 pitches with two one and one out in the seventh. Left-hander Carson Pfaffenberger, an eighth-grader, gave up a single to load the bases before getting a fielder's choice grounder and a pop-up to earn the save.

"It was out of my hands when I came out, but I have all the faith in the world in Carson," Rains said. "We executed very well. We had some errors, but we bounced back well."

The teams combined for just 13 hits. Seely had two of the Rockets' four knocks.

"Hagen pitched a great game," Tellez said. "He made them put the ball in play."

The teams were slated to finish their three-game district series with a doubleheader on Friday night in Roswell.

"Rains held us in check," Goddard coach Gilbert Alvarado said. "I think he's got a chance to play some bigger games (at the collegiate level."

Softball - The Lady Rams picked up two wins the easy way on Thursday, taking forfeit victories over Dexter at Wheeler Park when the Lady Demons were unable to field a squad.

On Tuesday, District 4-4A-leading Artesia handed the Lady Rams 9-0 and 11-3 setbacks on Tuesday at Wheeler Park.

In Game 1, eighth-grader Kayden Apodaca threw a one-hit shutout for the Lady Bulldogs (17-4, 8-0 district), striking out five. She also went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, three runs scored and a pair of RBIs.

Artesia opened a 6-0 lead with a four-run second. Sophomore Perseis Aguilar went 4-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs for the Lady Bulldogs, who finished with 14 hits.

Eighth-grader Angel Ornelas had the only hit off Apodaca, a single.

In the second game, Artesia broke a scoreless tie with a four-run second. The Lady Bulldogs again collected 14 hits, with Apodaca hitting a double and a home run and finishing with three RBIs and sophomore Zowe Warren going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.

Sophomore Madison Martinez earned the win with a six-hitter for Artesia. Sophomore catcher Bailey Hinderliter went 2-for-3 for Portales (10-11, 1-7) and knocked in a pair of runs.