No Nerves For Rams

After the Rio Rancho coach’s baseball team beat visiting Rio Grande 5-2 on Friday, the hottest topic on the field was not so much what had just transpired with the Ravens, but how the NHL playoffs were coming along.

Murphy sat out a one-game suspension, but the Rams, backed by strong pitching, outstanding defense and timely two-out hits, won the first game of their best-of-3 series against No. 9 Rio Grande.

That had everyone in a lively mood —including Murphy, who was on the field talking hockey about five minutes after the game ended. He was suspended for Friday’s series opener.

Brendan Wanchek pitched a complete game for the Rams, scattering eight hits.

“Brendan pitched great,” said first baseman Grant Templin.

His defense came through for him repeatedly, led by third baseman Brandon Garcia who made two excellent plays, including one dive-and-throw to nab the Ravens’ Matt Valdez in the third inning.

Rio Rancho (18-9) also turned two double plays with multiple runners on base.

The Ravens (18-7) had the bases loaded with one out in the fifth when Chris Vega lined out softly to Ram shortstop Zak Felix. Felix doubled Matt Valdez off second base to end that threat.

In the seventh, Rio Grande’s leading home-run hitter, Jerel Stevens was at the plate as the potential tying run.

With runners at first and third, he lofted a fly ball to left. Easton Bruere charged in to make a fine catch, and threw to third base to nail the base runner who had gone more than halfway toward home plate before having to retreat.

Rio Rancho second baseman Eli Cappello also provided a solid play. Rio Grande in the second had runners at second and third with one out when Nick Ortega grounded sharply to second.

Cappello moved to his left, knocked the ball down, then got up and threw out Ortega and kept the runner at third base.

Wanchek, a junior, said he had no nerves Friday.

“I was told (earlier this week) that I was gonna get the ball for Game 1,” he said. “So I got all my nerves out of the way.”

Cleveland-Gadsden

The sixth-seeded Storm pounded the visiting Panthers 13-1 in a game that lasted just 4 1/2 innings.

“I’m very pleased with the way we did things today and the way we’re finally getting our bats rolling a little bit,” Cleveland coach Shane Shallenberger said.

The Storm had 14 hits in just four at-bats.

Robert Montoya pitched a complete game, and worked out of bases-loaded jams in the first two innings. No. 11 seed Gadsden only managed one run combined in those two innings.

“They put the ball in play,” Shallenberger said of Gadsden. “They’re a very scrappy team.”

Cleveland (18-9) will try to close out the Panthers in Game 2 at 10 a.m. today.

Natty Lucero had three hits and four RBIs to lead the Storm offense. James Cleveland knocked in three runs apiece. Matt Corrales and Montoya had two RBIs each.

Shallenberger was frustrated after his team’s last game, a 9-1 loss to Cibola to end the regular season. He said that had a fun, productive week of practice.

“I wanted them to remember that baseball is a game, and we’re supposed to have a good time doing it,” he said. “I tried to loosen them up … we did a great job bouncing back.”

Bernalillo-Piedra Vista

In a first-round game Friday night at Ricketts Park in Farmington, No. 1 seed Piedra Vista edged No. 16 Bernalillo 1-0.

There was no other information available. Game 2 is this afternoon.