Top seeds fare well at baseball, softball Metro semifinals

Cleveland and Rio Rancho, the top two seeds and who have lost only one game between them in 23 tries this season, will determine the winner of the Albuquerque Metro Baseball Championships.

Volcano Vista prevented a 1-2 metro softball final.

The Hawks upset No. 1 Cibola on Friday in the semifinals, setting up a Volcano visit to No. 2 La Cueva at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Rio Rancho will visit Cleveland, also at 10 a.m.

SOFTBALL: The fourth-seeded Hawks (9-3) and new coach Melody Smith gained one of the more surprising upsets of the young season, as they went to District 1-5A rival Cibola (5-5) and beat the Cougars 6-3.

Audrianna Jim pitched a complete-game five-hitter against one of the top offenses in 5A softball.

Only one of the three runs were earned. Jim struck out five and walked two in her complete game.

Eighth-grader Madison Mazuranich delivered three of Volcano Vista’s hits in the win, and drove in a run.

At La Cueva, the Bears (5-3) and No. 3 Rio Rancho (5-4) combined for 37 hits in a wild semifinal, eventually won 14-12 by La Cueva.

The Bears didn’t secure their berth in the final until their starting pitcher, freshman Alyssa Hunt, was called back into the game in the top of the seventh with nobody out and the Rams having the tying run at first base.

But Hunt got the three outs to save the game.

Sophomore Madisyn Likar came off the bench to hit a pinch-hit grand slam in a five-run sixth for La Cueva, a home run that proved important when Rio Rancho scored three in the top of the seventh.

Elizabeth Hoggan homered for the Bears during an eight-run third inning. It was 9-2 at that point. But Rio Rancho shoved home four runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to tie the game at 9-all.

All of La Cueva’s starters hit safely in the victory.

BASEBALL: Cleveland starter Xavier “Jacob” Vasquez was magnificent for the top-seeded Storm (12-0) in their 8-0 victory over the fourth-seeded Matadors (6-6).

The senior left-hander went the distance, striking out 15 Sandia batters while walking no one.

Anthony Del Angel swatted a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning for Cleveland. Francisco Hernandez and Caleb Budagher also added two hits apiece for the Storm.

At Rio Rancho, the Rams (11-1) downed No. 3 seed Eldorado (7-2) by a 9-2 count.

Matthew Cook pitched four innings, striking out six and yielding just one run to the Eagles.

Wyatt Tinker homered and doubled for the Rams. Cook and Anthony Knoll both had two hits and drove in a run.

James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at @JamesDYodice.