Pirates Earn Second Seed

  • Pirates to state! The Grants High School baseball team received a second seed to the 4A state baseball tournament and will host the 16th seeded Portales Rams (12-11, 3-6) this weekend in a best of three games series. The Pirates came in first place in district 5 4A and amassed a record of 20-6 and 7-1. In this photo, Estevan Barela, 6, catches a fly ball in a recent district game against the Belen Eagles. Franklin Romero - CC
    Pirates to state! The Grants High School baseball team received a second seed to the 4A state baseball tournament and will host the 16th seeded Portales Rams (12-11, 3-6) this weekend in a best of three games series. The Pirates came in first place in district 5 4A and amassed a record of 20-6 and 7-1. In this photo, Estevan Barela, 6, catches a fly ball in a recent district game against the Belen Eagles. Franklin Romero - CC
  • Niko Young,13, winds up his pitch last week in a district game against the Belen Eagles. The Pirates pitching crew will be busy as the state tournament starts this Friday with Game 1 on Friday at 4 pm where the Pirates will host the Portales Rams (12-11,3-6). Franklin Romero - CC
    Niko Young,13, winds up his pitch last week in a district game against the Belen Eagles. The Pirates pitching crew will be busy as the state tournament starts this Friday with Game 1 on Friday at 4 pm where the Pirates will host the Portales Rams (12-11,3-6). Franklin Romero - CC

A spectacular season continues for the GHS baseball team as they received a second seed in the 4A state baseball tournament and will host the Portales Rams (12-11,3-6) who received the 16th seed. “We will continue to prepare (for Portales) like we have all season,” said GHS head baseball coach Mike Furbee. The Pirates will host the Rams in a best of three series starting on Friday, May 10th at 4pm and game two on Saturday May 11th at 11am and game three if needed at 1pm.

The Pirates went 1-1 in their last two games and are currently 20-6, 7-1.

On April 30th, the Pirates lost to district rival Belen 10-6 on the road, ending a 13-game winning streak. “We had nothing to gain or lose in the Belen game,” said Furbee about that loss. “It seems to have meant more to them than us and that is ok.” Belen scored two runs in the first inning and the Pirates bounced back with two runs of their own at the top of the third inning to tie it up 2-2. Belen managed one more run at the bottom of the third to make the score 3-2. The Pirates scored one run in the 4th and 2 in the fifth to lead 5-3. Belen came alive in the sixth scoring six runs to the Pirates 1 run for a final score of 10-6 handing the Pirates their first loss since losing to Uintah, Utah by score of 62 on March 22nd.

In the Belen game 4 Pirates had RBI’s. Noah Lundstrom had three hits, scored one run and 1 RBI. Estevan Barela had two hits, scored one run and 1 RBI. Daniel Garcia had two hits and 1 RBI.

Niko Young pitched three innings and allowed seven hits, three runs, three earned runs and had four strikeouts. Estevan Barela pitched two innings and allowed one hit. Izeyah Manzanares closed for the Pirates and allowed four hits, seven runs, three earned runs and two walks with six strikeouts.

On May 2nd, the Pirates regrouped and defeated the 5A Farmington Scorpions (9-17, 2-8) by a score of 101. In that game Daniel Garcia, Dominick Gonzales and Niko Young had 2 RBIs apiece. Izeyah Manzanares and Camren McDaugale had 1 RBI apiece. Estevan Barela pitched five innings in that game and allowed two hits, one run, one earned run and six strikeouts.

The Goddard Rockets (20-6, 8-1) received the number 1 seed in 4A baseball and will play the 15th seeded Kirtland Central High School. District rival Belen received the third seed and will play Aztec. St. Pius, also a district rival, received the fourth seed and will play Chaparral.

CIBOLA COUNTY SPORTS ROUND-UP

 Senior Pirate tennis player Alexia Munson placed second in district 5 4A to play in the 4-A state tournament starting Wednesday, May 8. Munson will play Marriela Rigales Wednesday, May 8 at 4:30pm at Albuquerque Academy High School.

The Lady Pirates team placed third in district onefifth just behind first place Belen and second place Gallup. The Lady Pirates finished with a 9-5, 4-2 record.

The Laguna-Acoma softball team is currently 135, 2-0 and will play on the road next against the Rehoboth Christian Lynx (19-2 and 2-0) in a double header in a district game on May 7. The L-A baseball team 1610, 5-3 and will play the Rehoboth Christian Lynx on May 8 on the road. The Lynx was 10-10, 6-2.