First-rounders set for Friday

STAFF REPORT

Portales High’s baseball team may have a significantly higher seed, but the fourth-seeded Rams could get all they want in this week’s Class 4A round-of-16, best-of-three series against No. 13 Hope Christian at Ram Field.

After all, the teams met in a four-team, round-robin hosted by PHS in late March and the Rams needed a big late rally to come away with an 11-10 win.

link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

Portales senior second baseman Kailee Ramirez, who leads Portales with a .634 average and 12 home runs, makes a throw during a Portales game earlier this season. Portales, seeded third in Class 4A, hosts Socorro in a 5 p.m. first-round matchup today.

The teams begin the series with a 6:30 p.m. game today, with an 11 a.m. doubleheader (second game only if necessary) on tap Saturday.

The Rams (19-7, 8-4 District 4-4A), who come in on a six-game winning streak, were second in the district behind third-seeded Ruidoso. Hope (10-15-1, 3-6 District 4-5A) was third in its district behind top-seeded Sandia Prep (24-1, 9-0) and seventh-seeded St. Michael’s (14-11, 6-3).

Portales batted .301 as a team this season, led by senior catcher Matt Martinez (.440) and junior pitcher-second baseman Grant Wagner (.407). Martinez also hit both of the Rams’ home runs during the season.

The top pitchers have been senior right-hander Rey Ornelas (6-0, 2.98 ERA) and Wagner (5-4, 2.59).

For the Huskies, who hit .252 as a team with seven home runs, junior Joe Standley (.348, 3 HRs) and sophomore Tyler Fickel (.329) have been the top hitters, while Standley, junior Ryan Villegas and senior Tim Gillard have seen the most action on the mound.

The series winner advances to a noon quarterfinal game on Thursday against either fifth-seeded Bloomfield or No. 12 Shiprock at La Cueva H.S. in Albuquerque. Semifinals will be next Friday at Cleveland H.S. in Rio Rancho, with the championship game set for 3:30 p.m. on May 16 at the University of New Mexico’s Lobo Field.

PHS softball hosts Socorro: Third-seeded Portales (17-7), winners of nine straight, will host Socorro in a 5 p.m. first-round game. It is the final game of the season at Wheeler Park for Portales, where it is 10-1 this year and 31-5 over its last three seasons. The visiting Warriors (12-14) are entering with a two-game losing streak, and have played in just eight games decided by single digits — Socorro is 8-10 in blowouts and 4-4 in games with single-digit differences. Portales, meanwhile, is 6-1 in games decided by 10 or more, iwth the lone defeat coming to Class 5A Los Lunas.

The first round is single-elimination, with the winner facing either Hope Christian or Sandia Prep to open the eight-team double-elimination tournament at Sue V. Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho. The championship game is set for 9 a.m. Saturday at the University of New Mexico, with a second title game at 3 p.m. if necessary.

Senior Kailee Ramirez leads Portales with a .634 batting average, including 50 RBIs and 12 of the team’s 20 total home runs.

Her sister, junior Kiersten Ramirez, leads the team with 79 1/3 innings in 16 pitching appearances and a 2.65 ERA. But she’s had plenty of help on the mound, as Crowley has also gone to Kailee Ramirez (4.34 ERA in three games), sophomore Daizia Loone (1-0, 0.00 ERA in five games) and freshman Sarah Blaeser (2-1, 4.17 ERA in 11 games,

Freshman Damelda Silva is the top hitter for the Warriors, with a .617 average, five homers and 45 RBIs. She also has 16 doubles and six triples on the season.

Pitching duties are largely handled by junior Jasmin Williams (4.60 ERA, 8-8 record in 97 1/3 innings over 22 appearances), with sophomore Ariana Garzia (4-5, 9.06 ERA over 31 2/3 innings in 12 appearances) in tow.

Portales High Athletic Director Mark Gallegos said there is no admission charge for either the baseball or softball games.