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Journal North: Home | Sports | Opinion | Obits | Entertainment
Thursday, March 31, 2011
District Opener Goes Into Extra Innings
By Vince Kong
Journal Staff Writer
ESPAÑOLA — After eight innings, a combined 23 hits, one home run that could have ended the game and another one that ultimately did, the start of District 2-4 play for both Española Valley and Santa Fe was eventful, to say the least.
Or as Demons first baseman Jay Martinez put it: "This was the craziest game I have ever been a part of."
Martinez played a major role in ending the three hour-plus matchup, hitting a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to help Santa Fe (3-9, 1-0 district) win its inaugural district contest, 13-12 (eight innings), over the Sundevils (3-8, 0-1) on Wednesday at Española Valley High.
Not bad for the Santa Fe senior, considering Martinez started the game 0 for 2 — even at one point slamming his helmet in the dugout in disgust.
"I was frustrated because I wasn't seeing the ball. It felt like I was letting the team down," he said. "But then I got that first hit and started to feel it."
His first hit — an RBI single — came in the fifth to cap off a four-run inning that helped the Demons pull to within 8-6. But Santa Fe, which trailed by as many as six runs, wouldn't get its first lead until the top half of the seventh.
That was when Michael Hyde drove the ball down the right-field line, scoring three runs to put the Demons up 10-9.
"I was looking for the outside fastball, and that was exactly what I got," he said. "Then after I hit it, I remembered there were three men on base. I got real excited. We were back in the game."
The Demons weren't just back in the game, they were three outs from the win. Manny Chavez, however, had other ideas.
The Española Valley first basemen chased Demons reliever R.J. Porras from the mound with a lead-off solo home run to even the action at 10 apiece, which leads us back to Martinez.
During Santa Fe's next at-bat — tied at 10 with one out and runners on first and second — Martinez said he simply want to put the ball in play. He had already faced Sundevils reliever Ricky Gonzales — in fact, Gonzales had struck him out looking just one inning earlier — so Martinez came up with a plan.
"I knew that after I got two strikes, he was going to give me a curveball — that was what he struck me out with the last time," he said. "I was praying that that would be the pitch I got."
His prayers were answered.
"It was a huge relief," he said after hitting his first homer of the season. "I played basketball against (Española Valley) and they would always whop us. It was nice to finally beat them."
But the Sundevils still had one at-bat — one very long at-bat.
With two outs, Demons reliever Mario Torres loaded the bases — after already walking in one run and giving up an RBI single — to watch Santa Fe's three-run cushion shrink to one. But the Demons senior would induce a routine fly ball to end the game.
"To tell you the truth, I was nervous," Torres said. "This was a hectic game — everyone got wild. But we did it."
Santa Fe coach John Morrison agreed that it was an important win, but it was just the first in a long district season, he added.
"We still have them two more times," he said. "Every game in this district is going to be a first fight. We will grow from here and move on."
Torres earned the victory, allowing two runs off two hits, while walking three, through two innings. Starter Hyde yielded nine runs off eight hits through 5 1/3 innings for the no-decision. Gonzales was saddled with the loss, giving up five runs off five hits through two innings.
Sundevils coach Anthony Alarid felt his squad let one slip away.
"We had the lead, we had runners on base and we should have put this game away early," he said. "... We were content with a six-run lead and relaxed. Give credit to Santa Fe, but we need to learn to play every inning."
Joaquin Schoeppner led the Sundevils in hitting, going 3 for 4 with two home runs and four RBI. For Santa Fe, Korwin Mueller was 4 for 4.
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