Rams finish third at Metro softball, Storm eighth

ALBUQUERQUE — A lopsided 14-0 loss in the APS Metro softball tournament’s semifinals sent the Rio Rancho Rams into the game for third place on Saturday.

There, the Rams (6-4) finished third, while in the championship game, the host and top seed Cougars were whipped 24-4 by the visiting La Cueva Bears.

Rams 9, Sandia 2Destiny Gonzales and Lilyrose Larrabee each went 3 for 4 and combined for five RBIs, with Gonzales hitting a homer, as the Rams beat the Matadors to claim third place.

Gonzales, in relief of starting pitcher Delysia Valdez, picked up the victory in the circle.

La Cueva 14, RamsThe second-seeded Bears continued to play long ball in this tournament. After five bombs Thursday in the quarterfinals against Atrisco Heritage, La Cueva went deep three more times Friday afternoon at Cibola High School as the Bears overpowered the third-seeded Rams.

One of the three homers Friday came from starting pitcher Lili Montoya, who crushed a three-run home run to center in the bottom of the first. In the circle, she held RRHS to just two hits — one of them a fluke bloop double on the infield — and struck out eight.

Offense hadn’t been a problem for the Rams in their first two games of the tournament at Paul Kohman Field at the Eagle Ridge softball complex.

Rams 20, Volcano Vista 10Undeterred after the Hawks scored four runs in the third inning Thursday, the Rams came back with eight of their own in the bottom of that inning, took the lead to keep with 10 runs in the fourth, and then ended the contest in the fifth via the mercy rule after a fly ball to right field off the bat of Alivia Henderson was misplayed to get her to second base, and an overthrow into foul territory in left field allowed her to scramble all the way to the plate and give the Rams a 10-run lead.

Junior catcher Larrabee led the offense with two homers, a double and five RBIs — she had a solo home run to lead off the second, was intentionally passed in the third, and had a two-run double and a two-run homer in the 10-run fourth.

Hitting a home run, she said, “is the best feeling;” she felt good twice.

Rams 16, Manzano 1

Although the Monarchs scored first, their 1-0 lead after their first trips to the plate didn’t last long. The Rams scored five times in the first, five times in the second and then added six more in the third to end it via the 15-run mercy rule. Wednesday afternoon.

Larrabee paced the offense with a double and a triple and five RBIs. Maysyn Thomas doubled twice in two at-bats and matched Larrabee with five RBIs. Tenorio added three RBIs; Aleah Alvarado went 2 for 2 and drove in a pair.

Cleveland finishes eighthVolcano Vista 21, Storm 16The Storm (7-8) let this one get away from them after holding a 13-5 lead after four frames Saturday at the Shock Yard.

The Hawks closed in on that lead with five runs in the fifth, took the lead after an eight-run sixth and padded their lead with three runs in the seventh.

Albuquerque High 14, Storm 4The Storm also let this game turn into a rout, as the visiting Bulldogs extended what had been a 5-2 lead after three innings to a 14-2 lead after putting a 9 on the scoreboard in the fourth. The Storm tried to extend the game with two runs in their half of the fifth, but when the third out was generated, they were 10 runs short and the game ended.

Sandia 11, Storm 1On Thursday, a home field loss dropped the Storm into the consolation bracket.

The Matadors had 17 hits, and pitcher Liliana Villanueva not only had three hits and three RBIs, but also struck out 14 Storm batters.

Storm 16, Valley 1In the opener Wednesday at CHS, six runs in the first inning was more than enough to beat the Vikings.

Coming up this weekIt’s the annual Kristin Griego Tournament at the Eagle Ridge softball complex, featuring 18 varsity teams from around the state and a pair of junior varsity teams (La Cueva and Cleveland).

The action begins Thursday at noon, including the home Rams facing Robertson on Paul Kohman Field.

The Rams’ second game is 8 a.m. Friday vs. the winner of Thursday’s game between West Mesa and Robertson.

The championship game is set for 4 p.m. Saturday, also on Paul Kohman Field.

… The struggling Storm are idle until April 1, when they open District 1-5A action at home vs. Cibola at 4 p.m. Then on Friday, Cleveland heads up U.S. 550 to tangle with Farmington, also at 4.