Matadors First Get Eagles Out of Way

Eldorado started the day with the fervent hope of turning the District 2-5A baseball standings into a three-team race.

By sundown Wednesday, the Eagles had to face this hard reality: The 2-5A title is probably out of their reach.

Which leaves this district to be claimed by one of two teams — Sandia or No. 1 La Cueva.

The third-ranked Matadors had impressive production from the top third of their lineup, and the Matadors rallied past No. 6 Eldorado 8-4.

“It was pretty important to continue leading the district,” Sandia designated hitter Danny Collier said.

With a potentially season-defining doubleheader against La Cueva looming this weekend, the Matadors (16-3, 4-0 in 2-5A) remained ahead of the Bears (17-2, 3-1) in district.

La Cueva is at Sandia at 10 a.m. Saturday for two games. The Matadors will have the opportunity to put the hammer down in 2-5A. Sandia is 2-0 against the Bears this season.

“We knew if we could win (Wednesday), we could split on Saturday and feel pretty good about where we stand going into the last week,” Sandia coach John Gunther said.

David Gunther, Derek Blaisuis and Collier, the top three batters in the Sandia order, each had three hits on a gorgeous afternoon and combined to go 9-for-11, with five RBIs.

Gunther was 3-for-4, with two RBIs, Blaisuis 3-4 and Collier 3-for-3, with a double and three runs knocked in.

A three-run fourth inning put the Matadors in front for good.

At the bottom of the order, Sandia loaded the bases with one out on a walk, hit and Eldorado error.

Gunther slapped a two-run single to center, scoring Marvin Ortiz and Taylor Duree for a 5-4 lead. Collier added an RBI single moments later.

Sandia reliever Ryan Reinhart (3-0) threw four solid innings of relief after starter Carson Schneider struggled in the early innings.

Reinhart surrendered just one run to the Eagles (11-8, 1-3) in his four innings of work.

“He’s been pretty dominant all year,” Collier said.

“He has that moxie to give us good innings,” coach Gunther said.

Early on, Eldorado had the better of it. Thomas Lee Mares had an RBI single in the first, and the Eagles went in front 3-2 in the second on an RBI single from Victor Guevara and a bases-loaded walk issued by Schneider to Cullen O’Dwyer.

The Eagles stretched to a 4-2 lead in the third on Austin Beck’s run-scoring single.

Sandia cut the deficit to 4-3 on Collier’s sacrifice fly.

Sandia added two insurance runs in the sixth, including an RBI single from Collier.
— This article appeared on page D2 of the Albuquerque Journal