Portales’ Cynthia Armijo dives under the tag of Clovis’ Brittany Mascarenas on a play at third base during Saturday’s pool play game in Clovis.

CLOVIS — After two lopsided losses in pool play, Portales’ softball team salvaged something out of the season-opening Lady Wildcat Invite Saturday by beating Las Vegas Robertson 12-5 to take fifth place in the six-team event.

The Lady Rams, still a bit shorthanded with several girls playing basketball, lost to eventual champion Santa Fe High on Friday before dropping a 19-8 decision to host Clovis in Saturday’s pool play.

“We’re still making errors and you can’t win ballgames when you make a lot of errors,” PHS coach Robbie Crowley said.

Juniors LeAnne Blaeser and Amanda Marquez didn’t pitch that badly, Crowley said, but were victimized by lapses in the field.

“I’m really excited because they can throw the changeup well,” Crowley said. “They pitched well, but when you have errors (behind you), it gets frustrating.”

Clovis scored seven runs in each of the first two innings in Saturday’s early game. The Lady Rams had four-run innings in the second and fourth, but could never get back into the contest.

Cynthia Armijo tripled twice in three at-bats and Sierra Duncan had a single and triple to highlight the Portales attack.

Against Robertson, the Lady Rams fell behind 4-2 after two innings, but scored 10 unanswered runs to take control. Blaeser was the winning pitcher in that one, tossing a six-inning complete game.

Marquez singled, doubled and tripled in four at-bats for the Lady Rams, while Jacy Terry, Brittany Gardner and Kelly Hook all went 2-for-4, including a double by Hook. Armijo added a triple.

Clovis took the third-place game Saturday night, beating Lovington 4-1, while Santa Fe cruised past St. Pius 12-0 in the title game.