FARMINGTON – The Cibola High baseball team used a pair of big innings to pull clear of Farmington High 11-5 Tuesday at Ricketts Park as the regular season in prep baseball quickly approaches the finish line.
Meantime, the Rio Rancho High baseball team secured its second straight district title at home on Tuesday, pulling clear of Piedra Vista by a final of 9-6.
The final games of the regular season for within District 1-5A will take place Friday, just days before state postseason tournament rankings and seedings are announced by the New Mexico Activities Association. The Rams are currently ranked second in Class 5A according to the most recent polling by Maxpreps, with district rivals Cleveland ranked ahead of them and the Panthers ranked third.
For Farmington, Tuesday’s loss at home against Cibola drops the Scorpions to 1-8 in district games (8-17 overall) with one final regular season game against Piedra Vista coming up Friday ay 7 p.m.
The Cougars, led by a 4-RBI performance from Isaac Brito as well as a pair of RBI from Daniel Kean and Jacob Escobedo, rallied from a 4-2 deficit to score three times in the fifth inning before pouring it on late with a six-run rally in the sixth inning to earn the win.
Cibola (11-14 overall, 3-6 district) opened the scoring in the top of the second inning with a solo home run from Escobedo, then doubled that lead in the top of the third inning when Tyler Wright scored off the bat of an RBI single by Kean.
Farmington rallied to grab the lead in the home half of the fourth inning thanks to a pair of RBI off the bat of Darnell Joe, who drove in Danny Hagstrom and Gabe Matamoros. The Scorpions added to the lead when Wyatt Boognl scored on an RBI single by LT Howard, giving them a 4-2 advantage heading to the fifth inning.
Cibola immediately responded, scoring three times to reclaim the lead. Kean’s sacrifice fly scored Ryan Puentes before Aidan De La O scored on passed ball to tie the game and Wright scored on a single by Brito.
The Cougars broke the game open in the sixth, scoring six times and sending 12 men to the plate. The six-run outburst also forced Farmington starting pitcher Nate Sewell off the mound after surrendering seven runs on eight hits through 5 1/3 innings.
Boognl got roughed up on the mound in relief, giving up four runs on three hits and recording only one out before he was replaced by Hagstrom.
Cibola starting pitcher Ryan Hutchinson went five innings and gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out four to pick up the win.
Joe crossed the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning for the Scorpions, who have now lost five in a row and are likely to miss the NMAA postseason. Farmington entered the week ranked 18th in Class 5A with Cibola ranked 16th in the classification.
The Rio Rancho High baseball team wrapped up the district title with a 9-6 win at home Tuesday over Piedra Vista.
The Panthers jumped on the board first in the top of the second inning when Alexis Hernandez laced a line-drive double to right field, bringing home Alejandro Hernandez for a 1-0 lead.
However, the Rams responded in the bottom half of the frame. Brayden Bustillos tied the game with an RBI single before Wyatt Tinker broke the game open with a three-run blast to center field.
Dean Ellison added an RBI double later in the inning to cap a five-run surge, giving Rio Rancho a 5-1 cushion.
Piedra Vista chipped away in the third, taking advantage of control issues from the Rio Rancho staff. Alejandro Hernandez drove in a run with a single, followed by a bases-loaded walk by Cody Clugston and a hit-by-pitch from Amasi Griego that cut the deficit to 5-4.
The Panthers briefly reclaimed the lead in the fourth inning when Kyle Murphy tattooed a two-run home run to center field, scoring Tony Reynolds and putting Piedra Vista ahead 6-5.
The lead was short-lived. In the bottom of the fourth, Ellison struck again with a two-run single to left, scoring Tinker and Bustillos.
Rio Rancho added an insurance run on a Piedra Vista error in the outfield that allowed Chase Rivera to cross the plate, extending the lead to 8-6.
Logan Sunstrom provided the final exclamation point for the Rams in the fifth inning, a solo home run to left field to seal the 9-6 victory.
Piedra Vista will wrap up the season Friday at 7 p.m. against crosstown rival Farmington at Ricketts Park. The Panthers are tied with Cleveland at 6-3 in the district standings. The Rams wrap up the regular season on the road Friday to face Cleveland.
The Class 5A state tournament opens Friday with top seeds hosting a best 2-of-3 series against lower seeded teams.