Prep baseball roundup: La Cueva and Eldorado now in the driver's seat; Hope Christian walks off Valley

It has been 10 years since the Eldorado baseball team hosted a state playoff game.

The Eagles most certainly put an end to that streak — unofficially — on Monday.

No. 6-ranked Eldorado swept No. 3 Sandia on Monday in the completion of a doubleheader that had been postponed nine days earlier, and in the process jumped over the Matadors and into second place in District 2-5A.

Barring something unexpected on the regular season’s final day, which for the Eagles is two games versus Santa Fe on Saturday, Eldorado pretty much locked up a home date for the first round of the Class 5A postseason May 9-10.

“I think we’re believing in each other,” Eldorado coach Ambrose Romero said. “It’s been and up and down year, but they’re finally putting things together when it counts.”

Nothing is official until the state brackets are revealed this coming Sunday.

The Eagles (16-7) and Matadors (18-5) are each 6-2 in league play and each two games behind No. 1 La Cueva (21-3, 8-0) which finished off a doubleheader sweep of its own Monday against Capital. Their games, like Sandia-Eldorado, were stopped early because of rain and snow on April 19.

Eldorado came from behind late to win both games against Sandia.

When Game 1 resumed, the Eagles led 5-4 in the top of the fifth; Sandia had two runners on base with one out. Eldorado escaped that jam.

But Sandia scored three in the top of the sixth for a 7-5 lead. A bases-loaded single scored two runs, and an error allowed the third run to score.

In the bottom half, Brody Hoffman scored a run for the Eagles on an RBI double to make it 7-6. Following a walk, pinch-hitter Nathaniel Jaramillo hit a ground ball on the infield that was thrown over the first baseman’s head, and both baserunners scored for an 8-7 edge.

Eldorado third baseman Ethan Marquez made a tremendous stop on a ground ball with a runner on first in the top of the seventh, kickstarting a 5-4-3 double play. Another ground ball ended the game.

In Game 2, Eldorado opened with a 7-1 lead in the second, including a three-run home run to deep right in that inning by Tim Kamphuis.

But Sandia scratched its way back into the game, and even grabbed an 8-7 lead with a four spot in the fifth.

In the bottom half, with the bases loaded and two outs, Kamphuis cleared the bases with a three-RBI double to the left-field corner.

Sandia had the potential tying run at first in the seventh, but a ground out put a finish to the sweep. The Matadors play La Cueva twice this Saturday, and will need to sweep both games to create a potential three-way tie for first with Eldorado.

The top-ranked Bears routed visiting Capital 23-1 and 11-1 on Monday. La Cueva already was leading 9-1 when the first game got stopped.

Braiden Reynolds was 3-for-3 with a three-run homer and seven RBIs in the opener for La Cueva. Reid Jacobson added a grand slam. Brayden Likar was 4-for-4 with four runs to lead La Cueva in Game 2.

The Bears also had pitched two shutouts on Saturday, 17-0 and 12-0, at Santa Fe.

La Cueva junior right-hander Everett Burdett pitched a five-inning perfect game in Game 2. He struck out seven as he retired all 15 Santa Fe batters he faced.

Also Monday, Class 4A’s fifth-ranked Hope Christian walked off No. 4-ranked Valley 4-3 at the Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Sports Complex on the West Side.

The Huskies (15-8, 3-4 in 6-4A) needed only six pitches in the bottom of the seventh to score twice and knock off the Vikings (11-13, 3-3).

The first pitch hit Hunter Solwick. The second pitch was a triple, lofted down the right-field line by Caleb Peña to tie the game.

And four pitches later, Nolan Garcia laced a single to left-center, scoring Peña to win it for Hope Christian.

Albuquerque Academy last week clinched the 6-4A title.

+7 Hope Christian baseball takes on Valley: Photos