What a day for Cleveland baseball: a metro title, a shutout of its rival, and, best of all, a no-hitter

RIO RANCHO – A victory in the final of the Albuquerque Metro Championships. A shutout over their biggest rival. A record that improved to 13-0. A no-hitter.

The Cleveland Storm baseball team could have accomplished any one of those things individually on Saturday and the day would have qualified as a smashing success.

Cleveland accomplished all four of them simultaneously during a sensational two hours, as the Storm’s 7-0 win over Rio Rancho capped a brilliant week at metros, and extended Cleveland’s undefeated season.

But the most unexpected element to all of this was senior right-hander Treven Polanco, who twirled an 87-pitch no-hitter Saturday on the biggest stage so far this regular season.

“It felt really great. Amazing. My first no-hitter,” said the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Polanco, who is signed to play at Chandler-Gilbert College in Arizona. “(I just wanted to) attack the zone, I knew I could beat them and trust my defense.”

Polanco (4-0) struck out five, walked three and hit a batter, and no Ram baserunner advanced farther than second base. About the only brief window where he was not in control was when he walked consecutive batters leading off the sixth. But the Storm defense turned a double play to end that threat.

Polanco effectively mixed his breaking stuff with a lively fastball to keep the Rams at bay.

“Beat them on the inside half of the plate, make them beat my fastball and make them swing and get some ground balls,” Polanco said. “I felt like I had my stuff today.”

His joyous teammates raced to the mound after the final out of the game to celebrate Polanco’s no-no, which was extremely rare given what was at stake Saturday.

“That was awesome, man,” said Cleveland senior shortstop Anthony Del Angel, who walked twice, doubled and scored two runs. “He was being a dawg and it was just awesome being on his side.”

Rio Rancho (11-2) didn’t square many balls up on Polanco, who had his fourth quality start of the season in as many appearances.

“He was pinpoint. He was hitting the spots today,” Storm coach Shane Shallenberger said. “I’m very proud of Treven. He had an amazing day.”

Probably the two best defensive plays behind Polanco both were made by Del Angel. The University of Oklahoma signee made two terrific stops; the second of those two, against Rio Rancho’s Brayden Bustillos with two outs in the third, was a slow-hit chopper. Del Angel had to move in and slightly to his right, he had to close quickly and he with his big arm fired to first to complete the play before Bustillos, the leadoff batter, could beat it out for an infield single.

“I just tried my best to back him up a little bit,” Del Angel said.

Of the 21 outs he recorded, only three were fly balls that reached the outfield.

Meanwhile, the Storm scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs and chasing Rio Rancho starter Logan Sunstrom just six batters into the game.

Del Angel walked and stole both second and third before scoring on Caleb Budagher’s single to right. Later, Francisco Hernandez, Santino Williams and Caleb Sandoval delivered back-to-back-to-back RBI singles to plate three additional runs.

Del Angel doubled and scored on a balk for a 5-0 lead in the second. The Storm tacked on two runs in the fifth.

“I think this team’s chemistry is great right now, and all of us have a goal to win, and play with energy every single game,” Del Angel said.

Cleveland – and Rio Rancho – turn next week to the Rams’ Sal Puentes event, which features a stacked field that also includes La Cueva and Carlsbad, plus several Class 4A powers.

“Last year, we didn’t have an amazing year, for us,” Polanco said. “We’re coming for it all this year.”