“All the bats were working,” said Walter Sarracino, Grants High School head baseball coach, about this weekend’s impressive 2-0 rout of the Bloomfield Bobcats, in a best-of-three series during the first round of New Mexico Activities Association’s state baseball tournament. The Pirates made short work of the Bobcats defeating them 12-1 on Friday, May 6, and then turning a tied game around to defeat them 6-2 in the second game on Saturday, May 7. “Everybody in the lineup was hitting well – everybody did their part,” said Sarracino of the first game.
Izeyah Manzanares, Gabriel Marquez and Tyler Everhart had two RBI’s each, while Maurico Chavez, Dominic Gonzales, and Caleb McDougale had one RBI each. Everhart, McDougale and Manzanares had two hits each with four other teammates getting a hit each. Pitching in that first game was Mauricio Chavez with an ERA of 1.40.
In the second game, the Pirates struggled to get going as both teams scored one run in the first inning and remained tied 1-1 until the fourth inning when again each team scored one run apiece to tie it up 2-2. In the fifth and sixth innings, the Pirate’s baseball bats came alive, scoring two runs in the fifth inning sixth inning for a final score of 6-2. “We came out a little flat in the morning—a slow start—we had a couple of mistakes but by the fourth inning we broke out,” said Sarracino to that game.
Nick Bustos and Izeyah Manzanares pitched in that game. Andres Lopez led the Pirates with two RBIs in that game followed by four teammates who had one RBI apiece.
The Pirates will take on the Aztec Tigers who are 21-8, 9-1 coming into the second round of the tournament. In the first round, the Tigers defeated the Hope Huskies 11-0 and 18-5. The Pirates previously split with the Tigers earlier in the year and have a good picture of their strengths and weaknesses.
“Their first three batters are good hitters and we are going to have to work around those guys,” said Sarracino of that upcoming game. “If we see their left hander – he throws pretty hard – we are preparing this week for them.”
Cibola County Sports Wrap-Up
Three Lady Pirates played last weekend at the New Mexico Activities Association state girl’s tennis tournament. Chloe Rychener of Grants defeated Reanna Rapanut of Santa Teresa High School, 6-1, 6-3 in the opening round of the girls’ singles tennis tournament. Rychener later played the second round and lost to Kate Mcdonald of Los Alamos High School 6-0 and 6-1. In the doubles competition Karsyn Cash and Alexia Munson defeated sister duo Cali and Nadia Tuggle of Hope High School 6-1 and 6-3 in the first round. They were defeated in the second round by Mariela Rigales and Hannah Garcia of St. Michael’s High School by a score of 6-4, 6-3.
The Lady Pirates track and field sprint medley team consisting of Iyessa Arriaga, Mia Apodaca, Skylar Charlie and Marina Lucero will compete in the state track and field tournament this Friday at Academy High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They qualified for the state meet after posting a time of 4:38.99 to earn the second-place spot just behind district rival the Belen Eagle who had a time of 4:37.80 at the district 5 4-A track and field meet held this past weekend. In addition, Lucero qualified to compete in the triple jump after completing a 30:08.25 jump which earned her second place in the district meet. Freshman sensation John-Paul Miller of the Pirates boys track and field team qualified for the state track and field tournament in the 3200-meter run after placing second in the district with a time of 11:36.2 just behind the first-place winner Andrew Garcia of St. Pius High School who had a time of 11:06.35.
The Laguna-Acoma Lady Hawks, with a 14- 12, 6-2, received and eight seed in the 2-A girls softball state tournament and will play the ninth seeded Mora Rangers (11- 4, 3-0) this Wednesday, May 11 at Cleveland High School at 9 a.m. The Lady Hawks played district rival Northwest High School (Shiprock) in a double header on May 4 and lost 14-4 and 18-12. On Saturday, May 7 they played in another double header and defeated Rehoboth Christian High School 22-4 and 22-7 in a district match up.