Rams softball team shares first place with Cibola

RIO RANCHO — The Rio Rancho High School softball team closed out the first half of its District 1-5A slate with a 13-3 rout of visiting Volcano Vista on April 16.

After RRHS won an 11-7 game at Atrisco Heritage Academy on April 19, the Rams moved into a tie for first place with Cibola, where the Rams play at 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 26.

Cibola beat the Rams 10-6 at the Eagle Ridge softball complex on April 9, for the upper hand, but a Rams win by four or more runs could make things interesting.

The Rams (11-11, 4-1 in 1-5A), still a game under .500, understandably haven’t cracked the NMOT coaches’ poll, but they’re getting hot at the right time.

The Hawks and Rams were knotted at three apiece after three innings on the 16th, and if a four-run fourth inning didn’t let everyone at the Eagle Ridge softball complex know which team would win, the Rams’ six-run outburst in the fifth ended it via the mercy rule.

Marissa Valdez led the 15-hit Rams attack with three hits in as many at-bats, with a homer and a double and two RBIs. Mia Martinez, Jordyn Tenorio, Lilyrose Larrabee and Alivia Henderson added two hits apiece, and Destiny Gonzales homered and drove in three.

Jayden Throgmorton was in the circle and allowed eight hits.

Cleveland 9, Atrisco Heritage Academy 8: The visiting Storm kept the Jaguars winless in district with a one-run win on April 16.

It was the Storm’s first district win; they’re in fourth place at the mid-point.

Los Lunas 14, Cleveland 3: After the Storm (9-13, 1-3) scored three runs in the top of the first on April 19 in Los Lunas, the Tigers started putting their own crooked numbers on the scoreboard: 2 in the first, 3 in the third, 5 in the fourth and 4 in the fifth to end it early via the mercy rule.

Bunts: The Rams are at La Cueva Tuesday for a nondistrict affair before their big showdown down the hill Friday. The Storm are home Tuesday to face Cibola, and at Volcano Vista at 4 p.m. Friday.

… The final week of the regular season is next week, highlighted by the Rams hosting Cleveland at 6 p.m. Tuesday. RRHS has its finale at 3:30 p.m. May 3 at Volcano Vista.