Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Tucumcari second baseman Luis Archuleta throws to first for a double-play attempt after getting the forceout against a Dexter base runner during the second game of a doubleheader Saturday at Logan. Watching the play is Tucumcari shortstop Nick Goen.
The Tucumcari baseball team's resounding 17-7 victory on Saturday over visiting Dexter snapped a district losing streak that dated back almost five years.
The Rattlers had last won a district game on April 27, 2018, when they defeated Santa Rosa 5-3.
After that, Tucumcari dropped 47 straight district contests.
Until Saturday. And the Rattlers snapped the skid in just five innings via the 10-run mercy rule.
"They didn't realize what they just did," Tucumcari head coach George Montano said after the victory. "Coach Matt (Garcia) told them the news, and they got excited."
Tucumcari secured the victory with a 10-run third inning. The Rattlers banged 18 hits during the contest, including seven for extra bases that included home runs by Daymion Urioste and Juano Martinez. Billy Otero went 4-for-4 with a team-high four RBI.
"We hit really well and ran the bases well," Montano said. "We had a few errors here and there on the defensive side, but we made up for it on the offensive side."
Nick Goen earned the complete-game victory, allowing four earned runs and fanning three. Goen helped his cause by going 2-for-4 at the plate with a triple and an RBI.
"He wanted the ball, and he was ready to throw," Montano said. "We told him he was going to pitch yesterday, and he said, 'I'm going to do whatever I can to help us win.' He did that."
The Rattlers lost the second district game by a 13-6 score.
A six-run fourth inning by Dexter proved to be Tucumcari's undoing. That gave the Demons a 9-5 lead, and they added four insurance runs in the sixth and seventh.
Otero went 3-for-4 for the Rattlers with two doubles and an RBI. Paxton Smith went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Goen also went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored.
Josh Griego suffered the loss for the Rattlers, allowing nine earned runs while striking out eight. The Demons totaled 14 hits.
Tucumcari's record stood at 5-16 overall and 1-12 in district play. Though the Rattlers' record looks unimpressive, they still have a chance at at postseason berth with a strong performance later this week against defending state champ New Mexico Military Institute. Tucumcari is ranked 15th in Class 3A.
Dexter ended the week at 3-16, 2-10.
Tucumcari will have to go the rest of the season without two pitchers - Kamren Apodaca, who broke his collarbone last week, and Oscar Angel, who suffered a toe injury in a practice accident last Monday.
Dexter 10, Tucumcari 6
A five-run rally in the fourth inning briefly gave Tucumcari a 6-5 lead but Dexter scored five more times in the next three innings for a 10-6 Demons win in district play on Thursday.
Griego was the hard-luck loser, with only two of the eight runs he allowed in four innings were earned. Tucumcari committed seven errors.
Goen pitched two innings of relief for the Rattlers, who also went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Martinez went 3-for-3 with a double and a triple, and Griego, Pat Garcia, Archuleta and Sammy Lopez each drove in runs for Tucumcari.
Sandia Prep 18, Tucumcari 1
The Sundevils scored 11 runs in the first inning and coasted to an 18-1 district victory over visiting Tucumcari last Tuesday.
Sandia Prep collected 12 hits and eight walks in the game, which was shortened to five innings by the 10-run mercy rule.
The Rattlers, which managed only two hits, scored their only run in the this inning. Sandia Prep pitchers Logan Lemons and Jonas Mahboub combined for eight strikeouts.
Sandia Prep finished the week at 14-6 overall and 10-2 in the district, giving the Sundevils a half-game lead in the standings.
