Seven-run fifth inning boosts Rams past Valley, moving on in Metro bracket

RIO RANCHO — What’s better than some home cooking?

Rio Rancho baseball moved to 9-1 and 4-0 at home with a 14-4 victory over Valley High, beating the Vikings to advance past the first round of the metro tournament.

The Rams got to work right away, scoring in each of the first three innings.

Ryan Barreras started things off with an RBI knock in the first frame, with Chase Rivera adding a RBI single of his own an inning later.

The highlight of the second inning would come off the bat of Wyatt Tinker, slapping an RBI triple to help move the Rio lead to 4-0 after two.

Some more hits from the Rams, on top of some crucial errors in the field by the Vikings, would help Rio post a three-run frame in the third. Valley would finish the afternoon with four errors total.

But they wouldn’t throw in the towel, as the Vikings posted two runs in both the third and fourth. Valley’s Jaxon Foulk led the way with two RBIs on the day.

Rio would look to avoid disaster with Valley rumbling back, seeing flashbacks of losing their undefeated run in an 11-10 loss to Carlsbad just four days ago.

In the fifth, the Rams delivered their knockout blow.

Seven runs to make the score 14-4 would mercy-rule the Vikings and give the Rams the metro-opening win. Rio posted six hits in the frame, with five different Rams contributing RBIs, including two-RBI knocks from Tinker and Matthew Cook.

It would be all about damage control for Rio’s pitching staff with superb run support behind them. Starter Noah Cardenas earned the win in a three-inning start, punching out three and walking one on six hits and two earned runs.

With a hot start at home, the Rams will have the luxury of playing on their own turf for the rest of the tournament as the two-seed. The only chance to not be the home team? If they cross paths with rival Cleveland in the championship game.

Rio Rancho will look to work its way through midweek bracket play in search of a weekend title game matchup.