Rams, Storm in baseball quarterfinals Thursday

RIO RANCHO—The Rio Rancho and Cleveland high school baseball teams could be on a collision course to meet in a Class 5A semifinal game of the Nusenda Credit Union State Baseball Tournament Friday, if both the Storm and Rams win their quarterfinal games today (May 16) at Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Park in northwest Albuquerque.

The No. 2 Rams (24-4) and No. 3 Storm (22-6) not only swept their first-round series with Clovis and Piedra Vista, respectively, but each City of Vision team allowed only two runs in those victories.

At 10 a.m. today (May 16), the Rams face No. 7 Carlsbad. The Rams beat the Cavemen 11-5 on March 29 in a semifinal game of the annual Sal Puentes Rio Rancho Tournament.

At 7 p.m. today, the Storm meet No.6 Volcano Vista or No. 11 Los Lunas; those teams were unable to complete the best-of-three series, and are expected to meet today.

The visiting Storm beat the Tigers 12-1 on March 7. The Storm are 3-0 vs. the Hawks this year, with scores of 4-3, 6-1 and 12-1.

Here are last weekend’s first-round highlights:

Rio Rancho 12, Clovis 2: On May 10, the Rams sent 14 batters to the plate in the decisive fourth inning, scoring eight runs. Dylan Archuleta pitched the first four inning and gave up four hits, struck out eight and allowed both runs. Jordan Roybal pitched a scoreless fifth. Nick DiGregorio was 3 for 3 to lead the offense.

Rio Rancho 2, Clovis 0: On May 11, in a pitchers’ duel, the Rams scored the only run they’d need on a DiGregorio groundout, then added an insurance run in the sixth when, with the bases loaded, seldom-used senior Dylan Macias batted for Archuleta -- and with everyone in the ballpark expecting a bunt – laid down a perfect bunt single to make it 2-0.

Cole Savage made his first start on the mound, scattering five hits and fanning seven; Dean Ellison earned a save with a 1-2-3 seventh. Sean Vigil had two hits to lead RRHS.

Cleveland 6, Piedra Vista 0: On May 10, Jaden Davis scattered three hits and had to depart short of a complete game due to a high pitch count in the seventh inning.

Cleveland 12, Piedra Vista 2: On May 11, The Storm had seven hits by as many batters, helped along in the rout by seven walks and four hit batters: “11 free bases,” coach Shane Shallenberger said. Lefty Javier Vasquez picked up the win.

The 5A semifinals take place Friday at Santa Ana Star Field at UNM at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. The lower part of the bracket, where the Rams and Storm are, has the later game.

EXTRA INNINGS: In the other first-round series from the top half of the bracket, all determined b sweeps, No. 1 La Cueva (24-3) beat Mayfield, No. 4 Organ Mountain (23-5) beat Hobbs, No. 5 Sandia (21-7) beat Las Cruces and No. 9 Eldorado (20-8) beat Rio Grande. That sets up the top half of the bracket’s quarterfinal games: Sandia-Organ Mountain at 1 p.m.; La Cueva-Eldorado at 4 p.m.