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Since New Mexico adopted the use of wood and composite bats before the 2012 season, the one mandate from every baseball coach was simple:
Defense.
With games certain to become lower scoring, a larger emphasis would be placed on the need for some pristine leather.
Commit three errors in a single inning, as Cibola did on Tuesday against Atrisco Heritage, and things spiral out of control.
“The pitchers threw great,” Cougars coach Ramon Gonzales said after visiting AHA won an 8-5, nine-inning nondistrict matchup. “But we’ve got to play better defense behind the pitchers.”
The Jaguars (5-7) score three unearned runs in the top of the ninth, with the help of three errors from Cibola (5-5). Six of Atrisco’s eight runs were unearned.
Cibola’s R.J. Marquez is tagged out at home by Atrisco Heritage catcher James Cordova during the Jaguars’ extra-innings win at Cibola Tuesday. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal)
The killer for Cibola was a misplayed fly ball by Drew Janis in the ninth. Had he squeezed the ball off the bat of AHA’s Nate Kelly, the inning would have ended with the Jaguars not scoring.
Although it was a tough play on a windy day — and looking almost directly into the setting sun — Janis got a big piece of his glove on it before it bounced away.
Two runs scored and Cibola fell into a 7-5 hole.
“He took the wrong read,” Gonzales said of Janis, who was Cibola’s starting pitcher and threw seven decent innings.
It was the second time this season Cibola lost an extra-inning game like this, mostly due to a porous defense. Eldorado was the other.
“We’re not making plays when we need to in the later innings,” Gonzales said.
Cibola still has four nondistrict games left before District 1-5A play begins.
The Jaguars get started in District 5-5A next week, with games against Valley on Wednesday and Rio Grande on Friday. AHA has been battling through some injuries to the pitching staff of late.
“Once we’re at 100 percent,” Jags coach Adam Amador said, “we’re gonna do some damage.”
Miguel Vasquez had three hits and two RBIs for AHA. R.J. Marquez was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs for Cibola.
— This article appeared on page 06 of the Albuquerque Journal
Reprint story -- Email the reporter at jyodice@abqjournal.com.
