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When the Rio Rancho baseball team starts firing on all cylinders, it can be a sight to behold.
The Rams’ 17-3 victory at Manzano on Thursday afternoon was proof of that.
It was a competitive game for a long while, with the Monarchs (4-10) cutting a deficit to 6-3 with two runs in the fifth inning.
Then Rio Rancho’s lineup roared to life.
“I thought we consistently put the ball in play, and we took advantage of a few errors early in the game by Manzano,” Rams coach Ron Murphy said. “I think when they battled back, our kids responded well and really got the bats going.”
Rio Rancho (13-4) put two on with one out, which Grant Templin promptly took advantage of, smacking an RBI single to left-center field.
Brenden Wanchek then reached on a fielding error by third baseman Angel Gonzales, the Monarchs’ fourth error of the game.
“We made some key errors and didn’t help our pitcher out a little bit,” Manzano coach Jim Briggs said. “Then our pitcher laid some balls out over the plate and they took care of them.”
Easton Bruere drove a two-run single through the left side and took second on the late throw home. Vic Chavez was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
A throwing error by second baseman Ricardo Maestas on a force play left everyone safe and allowed Wanchek to score. By that point it was 10-3, but the worst was still to come for the Monarchs.
Gonzales switched from third base to pitcher. But he hit Eli Cappello with a pitch to force in Bruere.
Brandon Garcia followed with a grand slam to left field.
It would take two more pitchers just to get Manzano out of the inning. By that time Rio Rancho had tacked on an additional two runs.
“We battled for five-and-a-half innings, we played some decent ball, and then with a young team we didn’t seem to get that play we needed,” Briggs said.
Garcia finished the game 3-for-3, falling a triple shy of the cycle, while driving in five runs. Templin was 3-for-5, with three runs scored. Bruere had four hits and four RBIs.
“I was pleased, we had a little bit of a layoff, so I was wondering how we’d come out today,” Murphy said. “We knew Manzano had a young team but we were happy with the outcome.”
The Rams used the game as an opportunity to gain some valuable experience on the mound for three different pitchers — Cappello, Wanchek and Templin.
“For our pitchers it was about getting some experience throwing live bullpens, that’s why we threw three guys today,” Murphy said. “We got a lot of good work put in today.”
Rio Rancho will take a breather this weekend before opening district play at home against Cleveland at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
— Chris Jackson
CLEVELAND: The Storm on Thursday beat Sandia 3-2 in Rio Rancho, as Cleveland (11-6) closed out the nondistrict portion of its schedule.
Robert Montoya pitched a complete game for Cleveland. Natty Lucero drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fourth, a ground single to right that scored Josh Casillas and broke a 2-2 tie.
“Those guys are really a good team,” Sandia coach John Gunther said. “They don’t get enough credit, but they’re better than their record shows.”
The Storm defense turned three double plays.
“That’s a credit to Robert,” Cleveland coach Shane Shallenberger said. “He got them to hit into those double plays.”
The Storm also cut down the potential tying run at home plate in the fifth inning on a terrific throw from left fielder James Cleveland.
Shallenberger has bemoaned his team’s subpar defense during the first half of the season, but it saved the day against Sandia.
“I think we got lackadaisical,” he said. “I really do. I think that’s what happened early on. We weren’t playing a full seven innings.”
On Tuesday’s matchup with the Rams, Shallenberger said: “Rio Rancho is playing well. And we’ve got a tough district. There are four very good teams.”
BERNALILLO: The Spartans, fresh off a 9-0 win over Santa Fe on Wednesday — Thomas Duran fired a no-hitter for Bernalillo — visit Española Valley for a pair of District 2-4A games today.
— James Yodice
Softball
Cleveland improved to 14-3 on Thursday, pounding Sandia 18-4 in five innings.
Emma Estrada was 4-for-4, with a home run and seven RBIs, for the Storm. Brooke Hodgson was 3-for-3, with a homer and five RBIs.
“We finally came out and scored early and often, which is something we’ve been wanting to do for a while now,” Storm coach Johnny Curry said. “It’s looking like the girls are starting to realize how good they are and how good they can be.”
Cleveland visits Volcano Vista on Tuesday in a District 1-5A opener.
Cibola is at Rio Rancho (at Eagle Ridge Middle School) on Tuesday in the other 1-5A opener; the Rams last played March 29. Cibola is possibly the second-best team in 5A after Volcano Vista.
