Rams, Storm softball teams finish down in the pack

RIO RANCHO — La Cueva won the annual Kristin Griego Softball Tournament, hosted by Rio Rancho High School, with a 6-2 victory over Alamogordo Saturday afternoon at Paul Kohman Field at the Eagle Ridge Middle School complex.

The No. 2 Bears ran amuck over the field, defeating (in order) to get to the championship game, Robertson (15-0), Cleveland (13-1) and Hobbs (10-0). The No. 6 Tigers had closer games, beating Hobbs (8-4), Farmington (7-4) and Sandia (8-2).

Host and No. 8 Rio Rancho won three of its five games; unranked Cleveland went 2-2 in its appearance. Bernalillo also was in the field; the Class 4A Spartans were 1-3 in the event.

Rams 19, Robertson 3The Rams spotted the Cardinals two runs in the first inning Thursday afternoon, then scored the next 19 runs — including 11 in the top of the fourth, when second baseman Olivia Chavez socked a two-run homer and a grand slam.

Aztec 13, Rams 12The Class 4A Tigers scored eight runs in the first inning Friday morning and held on to knock the Rams out of contention for the title.

No stats were available for the game.

Los Lunas 9, Rams 6Knotted at 6-all after the fifth inning, the Tigers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth to win it.

Chavez, pitcher Aleah Alvarado and Jordyn Tenorio each had two hits for RRHS.

Rams 15, Valencia 5In their first of two games Saturday, the Rams scored in four of the five innings — the contest was shortened due to the mercy rule — and whipped the Jaguars.

Tenorio was 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs; Chavez led the team with three hits, including another pair of homers; Lilyrose Larrabee, Ariana Hernandez and Alvarado each added two hits to their team’s 15-hit barrage.

Rams 18, Bernalillo 6In their finale of the tournament, played Saturday afternoon, Alvarado — pitching again — and Allyson Hooker each homered, with Hooker and Kianna Lambert each collecting four RBIs.

Hooker had three hits in the game; Marissa Valdez, Tenorio, Alvarado and Lambert added two hits apiece in the rout of the Spartans.

District 1-5A slate began this weekBoth city teams opened their District 1-5A slates April 1, with the Rams (9-6) at Farmington and the Storm (7-9) home to meet Cibola. On April 3, the Rams are home at 6 p.m. to meet Volcano Vista and on April 4 the Storm are home at 4 to meet Farmington.

… Next week, the Rams are at Cibola at 4 p.m. Tuesday, when the Storm are home to face Piedra Vista, also at 4 p.m. On Friday, Piedra Vista visits the Rams at 5 p.m. and the Storm are at Volcano Vista at 4 p.m.

… The city’s varsity teams meet for the first time this season on Tuesday, April 15, at Paul Kohman Field at 6 p.m. Their second get-together is in the regular-season finale, 4 p.m. May 2 at the Shock Yards at CHS.

… At the Griego tournament, Cleveland — which doesn’t make stats available after games — whipped Portales (14-0), lost to La Cueva (13-11), lost to Kirtland Central (12-11) and used a seven-run fourth inning to whip Sandia (12-0).

As for 1-5A, Rams coach Paul Kohman was his usual optimistic/pessimistic self: “We could be the best team or we could be the worst team,” he said. “I think we’re better than we were last year; probably (with) more talent.

“I’m not a pessimist or an optimist, I’m a realist,” said Kohman, the only head coach the program has had since its inaugural season in 1998. He knows district newcomer Piedra Vista has a long history of success — 5A runner-up in 2023, and 4A state titles from 2006-14, all under head coach Kevin Werth — on the diamond, Farmington has a good tradition in the game and Cibola and Volcano Vista, a team the Rams beat at Metro, plus city foe Cleveland make it too early for predictions.

“At this point, I would say offense (is our best strength),” Kohman added. “I hope that rolls over into defense and pitching. Right now, we have two pitchers hurt — Marissa Valdez and Aleah Alvarado (who was injured vs. Robertson). Alvarado hurt her knee; I hope she is all right.”