Ad
Rio Rancho softball team beats Sandia to advance to Metro semis today at 5 pm
Rams pitcher Jayden Throgmorton also had a hit in the Thursday victory.
ALBUQUERQUE — Home runs were an enormous part of the story as the Albuquerque Metro Softball Championships reached the quarterfinals at the Los Altos Complex on Thursday.
Rio Rancho won its game vs. Sandia, but Cleveland was dropped into the consolation bracket with a loss.
The long ball drove the narrative, to one degree or another, in each of the four matchups.
They were crucial to the Rams and equally crucial to Volcano Vista. In the day’s final game, they were vital to the Cibola Cougars.
By day’s end, the Friday semifinals were set: La Cueva-Cibola at 3 p.m., with Rio Rancho and Volcano Vista starting at 5.
The championship game is Saturday at noon on field 1 at Los Altos Park; it follows the third-place game there at 10 a.m.
Rio Rancho 6, Sandia 3: In the top of the fifth inning Thursday, the Matadors were trailing the Rams 3-1, and sophomore pitcher Liliana Villanueva hit a two-run home run to tie the game.
In the bottom half, Lilyrose Larrabee countered with a two-run home run to left field, as Rio Rancho (5-5) reclaimed the lead at 5-3. The Rams added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.
Destiny Gonzales also homered for Rio Rancho in the third inning.
Olivia Chavez led the hit parade with two hits. Pitcher Jayden Throgmorton scattered six hits for the Rams.
Ad
The Rams get to meet a District 1-5A foe, the Hawks. Volcano Vista (3-6) was off to a 1-6 start before they arrived at the Metro tournament Wednesday. They had lost their three games prior to this tournament by a combined score of 49-11. VVHS staged the best rally of the day Thursday, coming from behind for a 10-7 victory over St. Pius.
The Sartans were leading 7-3 when the Hawks scored six runs in the sixth inning to take a 9-7 lead. Standout shortstop Sixx Arnold launched a three-run homer to give Volcano Vista the lead.
La Cueva 16, Cleveland 0: This game lasted only 2½ innings. La Cueva (7-3) scored eight runs in each of its two at-bats.
And in the first inning, Addisen Byers belted a three-run home run, and Lili Montoya added a two-run shot moments later for a quick 5-0 La Cueva lead.
Pitcher Hannah Hunt added a two-RBI single, and the early rout was on.
The Bears’ opponent Friday is Cibola (5-3), which led for most of the way against Albuquerque High, and the Cougars were at one point up six runs (7-1) with only nine outs left to record.
NOTE: The first coaches’ poll of the season was released this week. In 5A, only two metro schools were in the top 10 – La Cueva at No. 2 and AHS at No. 6. The Rams got 12 points; the Storm received 4; No. 10 Piedra Vista had 20. Sandia had one more point than the Rams in the poll.
(James Yodice of the Albuquerque Journal contributed to this story.)
