Wolverines notch 10th seed in 2A

TEXICO — The Texico Wolverines dropped their season-ending twin bill against New Mexico Military on Saturday, losing 7-0 in the opener and 3-2 in Game 2.

On Sunday, the Wolverines (11-12) found out they had earned the No. 10 seed in the 12-team Class 2A state baseball tournament. They will travel to seventh-seeded McCurdy for a 3 p.m. first-round game today.

Quarterfinals through finals will be played in the Albuquerque area from May 12-14, with the championship game set for 1 p.m. on Saturday at Santa Ana Star Field on the campus of the University of New Mexico.

NMMI (20-6), the third seed in the Class 3A state tourney, jumped on Texico for three runs in the first inning of the opener. The Wolverines were limited to just two hits, singles by junior Bryson Crow and freshman Erik Davalos.

In the second game, sophomore Kyle Gonser made it a one-run game with an RBI single in the seventh before the Colts closed it out.

Sophomore Tristan Lucero went five innings on the mound for Texico, allowing two hits and two runs (one earned). Sophomore Tristan Lucero, who went 1-for-1 at the plate with a pair of walks, pitched the final two frames.

In Monday baseball:

Melrose 17, Grady 7 — The visiting Buffaloes used an eight-run second to take control of the District 2-1A matchup at Grady.

Sophomore Dathan Yeary hit a three-run homer and finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs and four runs scored for the Buffs (10-7, 6-3 district). Freshman Cy Draper went 2-for-4, including a three-run double in the second, while freshman Josiah Roybal was 2-for-5 and scored three times.

For the Bronchos (10-6-1, 2-6), freshman Jayce Garrett was 3-for-4, junior Micajah Martin finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, sophomore Emiliano Corrales added a pair of hits and an RBI and sophomore Zane Rush belted a solo home run.

Both teams are in contention with Magdalena for the one wild-card berth in next week’s four-team Class 1A state tournament. Grady is slated to host the Steers (10-7) in a 1 p.m. doubleheader today.

In Friday contests:

Melrose 12-7, Logan 3-15 — The Buffs handed the district-leading Longhorns their first district setback in the opener as Yeary pitched a complete-game five-hitter with 12 strikeouts and went 4-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles.

Draper added a three-run double in the sixth while freshman Briar Larson had two hits and scored three runs.

In Game 2, Logan (14-3, 5-1) opened a 13-1 lead through three innings, but Melrose tallied four in the fifth and the game went the distance. Yeary was 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored while Roybal went 3-for-5 and senior Brody McAlister added 2-for-5.

Grady 22-18, Cimarron 0-2 — At Grady, the Bronchos avenged an earlier loss to the Bluejays, winning in 4 1/2 innings in both games and scoring in each of their eight turns at bat.

Freshman Jax Piepkorn pitched 4 1/3 innings in Game 1, striking out six, and also went 2-for-2, including a grand slam in Grady’s 12-run fourth. Deakin Ragland added 2-for-3 with a three-run homer, senior Teagan Watson had a grand slam in Grady’s seven-run first, Garrett went 3-for-3 with three run-scoring singles and senior Kolbyn Hutchins added 3-for-4.

In Game 2, Garrett drove in seven runs with a bases-clearing double, a two-run double and a two-run single and Hutchins wet 3-for-4 with two doubles and a three-run homer. Rush and Ragland shared pitching duties and each contributed two hits to the attack.

In area softball on Monday:

Dora 19-13, Eunice 6-6 — At Eunice, the Lady Coyotes (12-10, 6-9 District 4-1/2A) scored in every inning of the opener, shortened to six frames by the 10-run rule, before taking control of the nightcap with a nine-run second.

Junior Jenna Ramirez went 2-for-4 with two walks and three runs scored in the opener for Dora, currently ranked seventh in Class 1-2A by MaxPreps. Sophomore pitcher Faith Jasso had a single and three walks in six plate appearances, and scored three runs.

Sophomore Bre’ann Rodriguez was 3-for-4 and scored three times in both games for Dora. Jasso added 2-for-4 in Game 2 with a triple, a walk and three runs scored.