RR's Bustillos, Cleveland's Vasquez deliver in Sal Puentes opener as city teams advance

RIO RANCHO - The Sal Puentes Memorial Tournament is here, and the Rams and Storm are once again on a collision course to battle in bracket play.

Both city teams put together dominant performances to set up a second-round meeting between the two rivals, facing off for just the second time this year.

Cleveland 10, Artesia 0

A first-pitch homer from Anthony Del Angel summed up Cleveland’s contest with the Bulldogs, throwing the knockout punch early.

In a five-inning shortened contest, the Storm scored multiple runs in four of the five frames, including two in the fifth to end the game via mercy rule.

Behind Del Angel was a fantastic day at the plate for Caleb Sandoval, who finished 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs. Peyton Noel would also contribute a multi-hit day, going 2-for-3.

With run support behind him, all eyes were on Xavier Jacob Vasquez, who did not disappoint on the bump.

It may not have been a full seven innings, but Vasquez tossed five frames of no-hit baseball, striking out six in the shutout performance.

Cleveland’s senior lefty is now 5-0 on the mound this season, with three of those performances aiding in a Storm shutout.

Whether it's their arms or their bats, the electric blue find a way to stay perfect, sitting at 14-0 on the season.

 After wrapping up tournament play, Cleveland will open up their district schedule against Cibola on March 31.

Rio Rancho 14, Albuquerque Academy 4

Chargers: 4, Brayden Bustillos: 4

Rio Rancho’s junior left his mark on the opening round of their host tournament, driving in four runs on two hits in a 14-run barrage from the Rams.

Bustillos’ day was highlighted by a sixth-inning two-run shot to left field, on top of notching a two-RBI single just an inning prior.

It was the type of performance that was required from the Rio lineup, after falling into an early 4-0 hole to the 8-4 Chargers.

A four-run ABQ Academy first inning had the Rams a bit stunned, but they would respond in the second and third to make it 4-3.

Trailing after four innings, the Rams found the switch. Rio would score six runs in the fifth before a five-run sixth would end the game early via mercy rule, flipping the game on its head and shocking the Chargers.

Aside from Bustillos, Leland Molinari and D’anjoelo Aragon would also post home runs. On top of the timely hit, the Rams also worked counts early and often on Thursday, finishing with a whopping 13 walks in the game.

Now at 12-2 before finishing bracket play, the Rams will soon gear up for the start of their district season with a road game against Farmington.