Stormsational: Undefeated Cleveland takes down Rams, La Cueva en route to Sal Puentes title

RIO RANCHO - Still stormin’ on by.

In a talented field at Rio Rancho High School’s Sal Puentes Invitational Tournament, Cleveland Storm baseball tallied three wins in three days to take the tourney title and stay a perfect 16-0 on the year.

After opening bracket play with a win over Artesia, the electric blue took another game off rival Rio Rancho in a 6-3 semifinal victory, before heading to the championship to defeat a strong La Cueva team 6-2.

“It was a fun weekend,” Cleveland shortstop Anthony Del Angel said. “The whole team contributed this weekend and competed. We’re just looking to take this momentum moving forward.”

Contributions across the board were the difference maker in the Storm’s second tournament win in as many weeks, coming when they needed it most.

A five-run fifth inning against the Rams and a four-run sixth inning against the Bears both cracked open what were neck-and-neck competitive bouts.

Del Angel came through with a wallop of a three-run home run against the rival Rio, silencing the home crowd.

A day later, it would be his fellow infielder Francisco Hernandez doing the job. Hernandez would finish the title game with three hits in four at-bats, including a two-run double in the go-ahead inning.

Cleveland’s offense was on full display, but they would not currently have a trophy in hand, or an undefeated record to that matter, without their pitching staff.

Heading into the semifinal, coming off three straight shutouts as a staff, Alex Larvie would get the ball against the Rams.

Larvie would handle business in the tense clash, tossing five innings with five strikeouts on two hits, allowing two earned runs in his fourth victory of the season.

For the championship, much like the Metro final, the Storm would look to senior Treven Polanco to get the job done.

Polanco no-hit the Rams a week prior in the Metro Championship game, as the anticipation built for the pitcher’s duel between Cleveland’s righty and La Cueva senior and University of New Mexico commit Luke Fiest.

Both talented arms would have their moments, but Polanco would get the last laugh, earning the win in a seven-strikeout, five-inning performance, including striking out the side in the fourth.

Big hits, pitching duels or timely plays: Cleveland keeps finding a way to win, and they're now bringing their game to district action.

Trophies in hand, the Storm will open up 1-5A at home against Cibola, Farmington and Piedra Vista before hitting the road to face Volcano Vista.