Big first lifts Portales to win

CMI staff

The Portales Lady Rams did all their scoring in one inning in Saturday’s season opener against Amarillo High, and it was enough.

Senior catcher Simone Laurenz got a six-run rally started with a solo home run and PHS posted a 6-2 victory over the Lady Sandies at Wheeler Field.

Down 2-0 after Amarillo High’s Bailey McAlpine launched a two-run homer in the top of the first, the Lady Rams put baserunners on in the second through fourth innings, leaving the bases loaded in the fourth, but didn’t break through against losing pitcher Emily Permenter until the fifth.

Kailee Ramirez and Valerie Villanueva had run-scoring singles to put the Lady Rams in front, and they added tack-on runs when Kassandra Rodriguez reached on an error, Ashley Villanueva drew a bases-loaded walk and Jasmin Vega hit a run-scoring groundout.

The Lady Rams added three players off the Class 3A state champion Portales girls basketball team just this week in Laurenz and fellow seniors Francis Armijo and Kacie Terry, and coach Robbie Crowley said it helped.

“We’ve had those kids out for about three practices, but they’re competitive,” Crowley said. “They proved that in basketball.”

While it was the Lady Rams’ opener, the Lady Sandies have already played around 20 games, Crowley said.

Sophomore Kiersten Ramirez finished with a three-hitter, walking two and striking out five. Meantime, Kailee Ramirez led a 12-hit PHS attack with three hits, while Laurenz, Kiersten Ramirez and Mariah Lovato all hit safely twice.

PHS returns to action next weekend, hosting a six-team invitational on Friday and Saturday at Wheeler Park.