AZTEC – Rivalry games are often decided by the smallest of margins, but the Bloomfield High baseball team left no room for drama on Saturday.
Exploding for nine runs in the first inning and 10 more in the third, the No. 10-seeded Bobcats dismantled No. 7 Aztec 21-8 at Fred Cook Stadium to complete a two-game sweep in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament.
The first round sweep advances the Bobcats into the quarterfinals and a showdown Thursday at 10 a.m. against No. 2 Goddard with the winner moving on to the state semifinals.
Bloomfield sent 13 batters to the plate in a marathon first inning. The Bobcats took advantage of an early Aztec error and a hit batter before Gavin Pecotte, Drayton Higgins, and Troy Jaramillo all drove in runs with singles. Cable Carruth provided the exclamation point for the frame, launching a two-run home run to left field to give Bloomfield a 9-0 lead before the Tigers could record three outs.
Aztec attempted to claw back in the second inning when Jace Archuleta blasted a grand slam to left field, cutting the deficit to 11-4. However, the momentum was short-lived.
In the third, the Tigers’ pitching struggled with command, surrendering four walks and allowing four runs to score on passed balls or wild pitches alone. Another defensive error and a Johnny Yates RBI groundout pushed the Bloomfield lead to 20-4.
The Tigers showed late life with a two-run single by Tyler Ray in the fourth and a two-run home run by Cory Douglas in the fifth, but the mountain was too high to climb.
Tayetum Callado led the Bobcat hit parade, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two walks. Higgins finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored.
Goddard comes into Thursday’s matchup with a record of 21-7 overall. The Rockets are 3-0 against the Bobcats with their most recent meeting coming in the 2024 postseason.
After a hard-fought start on the mound, Bloomfield High’s baseball team broke open a tight game with a dominant sixth inning, capitalizing on patient at-bats to defeat Aztec 16-5 Friday night at Fred Cook Stadium.
“The team bonded this whole week over practice and worked on that two-strike approach and they bit into it,” Bloomfield head coach Anthony Valencia said. “They were really disciplined today, but we’re not done yet.”
Johnny Yates earned the win for Bloomfield, tossing 4 1/3 innings in relief. He allowed five hits and five runs while striking out eight. Yates also fueled the offense, finishing with two hits, three RBIs and two runs scored.
Cadin Anderson started for the Tigers, allowing six runs on seven hits across four innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
Bloomfield struck first in the opening inning when Yates ripped an RBI double to right field, scoring Troy Jaramillo for a 1-0 lead.
The Bobcats widened the gap in the second inning. After loading the bases, Anderson hit Cable Carruth with a pitch to force in a run before Manuel Chavarria cleared the bases with a three-run double to deep right, extending the lead to 5-0.
Aztec answered in the third. Christian Holmes drove in Kale Watson on a groundout, and Cory Douglas followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-2. Bloomfield ended the rally by turning a double play.
Yates added a solo home run in the fifth, but Aztec remained within reach. Douglas doubled in Tyler Ray, and a Bloomfield error later allowed Holmes to score, trimming the margin to 6-4.
Momentum shifted decisively in the sixth. Bloomfield loaded the bases and capitalized on patient plate appearances and Aztec defensive miscues. Elias Munoz and Gavin Pecotte each delivered RBI singles during the rally, and Drayton Higgins added a two-run double.
The Bobcats erupted for 10 runs in the frame, forcing the Tigers to use three different pitchers in the inning.
Aztec managed one final run before Yates closed out the victory with two strikeouts.
“It feels great being out here with my brothers and being able to do this after district play – it’s surreal,” Yates said. “I wouldn’t want to be doing it with any other guys and any other coaches.”