Eagles stop Storm in quarterfinals

ALBUQUERQUE — Cleveland High School’s hopes of playing in the Class 5A championship for the second year in a row were derailed Thursday afternoon, when the Storm came out on the short end of an 8-7 battle with Eldorado.

“Well, it was a good game,” Storm coach Shane Shallenberger said. “They scored one more run than we did.”

That “one more run” might not have been possible without a great play made by EHS shortstop Cirillio Martinez in the bottom of the sixth, when Cleveland (20-10) scored twice and had the bases loaded.

Caleb Sandoval hit a ball that appeared headed for the left-center gap, only to have Martinez leap to snag it and flip to second for a force out that ended the rally.

Cleveland had a 6-5 lead after the web gem by Martinez, but the Eagles rallied for three runs in the seventh to win the game and advance into a semifinal game, where they beat Los Lunas 12-7 Friday and qualified for the championship game for the first time since 2015.

The contest had been a seesaw affair, with the No. 4 Storm clinging to a 6-5 lead going into the top of the seventh. The No. 5 Eagles, who’d also beaten Cleveland earlier in the season (7-4 in nine innings at Cleveland on March 22), rallied for three runs off relievers Treven Polanco and Xavier Vasquez, with Vasquez unable to stop the rally after Polanco gave up a leadoff double. A walk to the next Eagle, and later two singles and a fielder’s choice, gave Eldorado an 8-6 lead.

The Storm wouldn’t go down without a fight, of course, and Francisco Hernandez got hit by a pitch to provide some hope. Pinch-hitter Ben Herman drew a walk, putting the potential tying run aboard and the winning run at the plate.

Gunner Carey struck out and Josiah Armijo hit a bouncing ball toward second, looking like it would be a game-ending double play. But the ball took a late hop over the second baseman’s head, and the Storm had the bases loaded.

Jarren Villa, who started the game on the mound and went three innings, lofted a wind-blown fly ball into short right field, caught by the EHS second baseman, with Hernandez scoring.

Down to their final out with the team’s best hitter, Anthony Del Angel (3 for 4)b on deck, pinch-hitter Noah Segura flew out to left field.

“We gave it everything we had,” Shallenberger said. “We gotta come through. … It is what it is.”

Josiah Armijo and Hernandez each had two hits for the Storm, who were hoping to avenge last year’s loss to La Cueva by getting back to the championship game.

Eldorado went on to meet its District 2-5A rival, Sandia, which beat Rio Rancho in a Friday semifinal, in the championship game Saturday. Eldorado was 3-0 vs. the Matadors heading into that showdown for the blue trophy — only to see the Matadors win their first blue baseball trophy since 1980, with a 13-4 rout of Eldorado.

It was the final high school game for seven CHS seniors: Larry Garcia, Gabe Nelson, Lucas Vigil, Owen Bishop, Villa, Carey and Armijo. Villa is headed to Pima Community College, and Bishop will be at Trinidad State College next season, so their diamond careers will go on.