Rams alone in first place as season winds down

RIO RANCHO – It’d be fair to say Rio Rancho High School senior outfielder/pitcher Casen Savage has been hot at the plate lately.

With his last swing of the Rams’ 16-4 win at Cleveland on April 12, he hit a home run.

Four days later, his first swing on the first pitch he saw from future New Mexico Junior College teammate Dominick Maese was also a home run. One pitch later, Dean Ellison went yard, and the Rams went on to batter Maese and Volcano Vista, 14-4.

It completed the first half of district play, in which the Rams have won three of those games by 10 runs or more.

Savage wasn’t done, though, as he clubbed a solo homer in the third inning.

“Three at-bats, three home runs,” said Savage, arguably one of the greatest RRHS baseball players in the school’s 27-season history. “Beating anyone is fun.”

He walked his other two trips to the plate, the second time intentionally, loading the bases to set the stage for a two-run double by Ellison.

Savage and Ellison weren’t the only players to hit homers to left field, aided by a ferocious wind: Pitcher Dylan Archuleta hit a two-run shot in the third, and the Hawks’ Hunter Martinez hit a grand slam in the top of the fifth, meaning the Rams’ 10-0 lead before that wouldn’t end the game after 4½ frames.

A walk to Jordan Sena, a single by Ryan Lewis and a bunt single by Bryson Martinez filled the bases, and Archuleta drew a walk-off game-winning walk to end the District 1-5A contest.

It seemed appropriate for Archuleta — he’d issued two walks in the fifth before yielding the homer.

Archuleta led the offense, going 3 for 3 with three RBIs. Savage, Ellison, Nick DiGregorio and Lewis each had two hits.

“It’s still 5A; we have a lot of respect for the teams we played already,” coach David Gomez said, looking ahead to the four remaining 1-5A contests. “They’re gonna come ready the second half.”

Cleveland 27, Atrisco Heritage 2: Also on April 16, the Storm visited the Jaguars in the South Valley.

An 11-run second inning left no doubt who would win the District 1-5A encounter, because that gave the Storm a 15-0 lead. Cleveland added five runs in the third and seven more in the fourth to run away with it.

The Jaguars scored once each in the third and fourth innings, each given up by starting pitcher Joseph Stevenson, who gave up only one hit and was relieved by Anthony Del Angel in the fifth.

Del Angel led the hit parade, going 3 for 3 with a grand slam, a double and eight RBIs.

Brandon Hennessy was 2 for 3 with a grand slam and five ribbies.

Jaden Davis was 5 for 5 with a double but didn’t hit a grand slam; he did wallop a two-run bomb and drive in three.

Caleb Sandoval and Jarren Villa each went 3 for 4 and combined for seven RBIs.

La Cueva 5, Cleveland 4: On April 17, the No. 1 Bears (17-2) overcame a 3-0 deficit after three innings with a four-run fourth and beat the Storm at the Shock Yard.

The proverbial “ducks were on the pond” for the Storm (16-6) in the bottom of the seventh, then trailing 5-3.

Pinch-hitter Josiah Armijo opened the inning with an infield single, and Jacob Brevig flew out.

After Armijo went to second on a wild pitch, Jarren Villa singled him home and Storm fans’ hopes rose as Hennessy followed with a single to left. It got better: Del Angel drew a walk to load the bases.

Those hopes soon sank, as Silas Hilton popped out to short and Davis hit into a fielder’s choice to end it.

The Storm led early on an RBI single by Davis in the first and a two-run homer by Del Angel in the third; Del Angel accounted for two of the Storm’s six hits in the game.

The Bears grabbed the lead in the fourth, helped by two infield errors and a walk issued by starter Davis.

It was the second loss to the Bears this season. Cleveland also lost, 5-0, in an APS Metro semifinal at La Cueva on March 22.

Rio Rancho 18, AHA 3: The week wrapped up with the Rams at Atrisco Heritage Academy to start the second half of district play.

Brandon Segal earned the win in the mercy rule-shortened game, with Lewis clubbing a grand slam and accumulating seven RBIs in the rout in his 3 for 4 day at the plate.

Savage remained hot with the bat, going 3 for 3 and scoring three times; DiGregorio was 2 for 3 and drove in three runs.

Extra innings: The Rams (19-3, 5-0) have a nondistrict game at Eldorado at 4 p.m. Tuesday and play at Cibola at p.m. Friday. The final week of the regular season has the Storm at Rio Rancho April 30, and the Rams at Volcano Vista on May 3. Both games start at 4 p.m.

… The Storm are home Tuesday to face last-place Cibola, and head to Volcano Vista at 4 p.m. Friday to face the Hawks. In the final week, after their game with the Rams, the Storm entertain Atrisco Heritage Academy May 3. Games start at 4 p.m.