Chargers blow out Vikings, close in on district title

This was just about the purest definition of a team win you could find. And it put Albuquerque Academy’s baseball team on the verge of a district championship.

Friday afternoon’s showdown against Valley was a prime opening for the Vikings — win at home, and they’d tie the Chargers for first place in District 6-4A with two weeks left in the regular season.

Instead, Academy jumped out early, and eight of the nine Chargers in the starting lineup drove in a single run in a commanding 12-1, six-inning victory that put Academy two games in front of second-place Valley with just three league games remaining.

“We put a complete game together,” Chargers coach Chris Alexander said. “Pitched well, played good defense, and everyone in our lineup hit, or was a really tough out.”

Eight starters had exactly one RBI, including Ryan Williams’ towering — and somewhat wind-aided solo home run — in the top of the fifth.

Two runs would have sufficed for Academy ace Matt Delaney (5-1; his only loss coming to La Cueva), one of 4A’s elite starting pitchers. The senior righty struck out 10 in a complete game, scattering four hits. A fifth was avoided on the game’s final play, with a terrific diving catch in left by sophomore Aiden Schum.

The Chargers (13-9 overall) are 5-0 in league play, two games in front of Valley (11-11). Hope Christian is 2-2 in district and still very much in the hunt, with a huge matchup — a must-win for the Huskies — coming up Tuesday against Academy.

Academy put up a run in the first against Valley starter Jayden Martinez. Jace Gabaldon and Andrew Olson drove in runs on consecutive at-bats in the second for a 3-0 lead. Daniel Candelas — like Gabaldon, a freshman — doubled home a run in the third.

Valley got its only run in the fourth, but Williams restored a four-run lead with his homer to straightaway center in the next Academy at-bat.

Valley had a couple of minor openings, but Delaney for the most part shut the Vikings down, mixing a lively fastball with a curveball, change-up and slider.

“He’s got really good stuff,” Alexander said. “All year, he’s been a workhorse for us, he throws six or seven innings every game he starts, and he pitches all our big games.”

That includes these teams’ last meeting, which was a 6-3 Academy win but very tight into the late innings. Delaney decided to change things up this time, adding more off-speed stuff.

“They have really good hitters. They’re gonna have some all-state players on their team,” Delaney said. “What (I did today) was try to focus on tough guys, try to compete in the zone a lot and try not to make mistakes.”

There was an additional element in play Friday. In the latest coaches’ poll, Valley was ranked No. 3. Academy was ranked No. 7, even with a previous win over the Vikings.

“We definitely noticed it,” Delaney said. “It was in a group chat the night before. It definitely gave us some fire going into this game.

“When we’re ranked low, we play better,” he said.

Academy salted the game away Friday with seven runs in the top of the sixth inning.

“We’re definitely in a great spot,” Alexander said. “We have to finish strong. It’s not clinched yet.”