Wildcats reach title game

RIO RANCHO — Senior right-hander Austin Adams contributed an RBI double to a three-run first and made the runs stand up with a complete-game two-hitter on Friday night as Clovis High edged Artesia 3-2 in the championship semifinals of the Sal Puentes Invitational baseball tournament.

The Wildcats (7-3) meet La Cueva an 11-2 winner on Friday over Rio Rancho Cleveland, in the tourney finals at 12:30 p.m. today. Artesia (5-6) and Cleveland play for third place at 10 a.m.

Trailing 1-0, the Cats struck for all of their runs in the bottom of the first off senior right-hander Jharyss Granger. Kurt Kelley walked leading off, then stole second and took third when Jace Piepkorn reached on an error.

Keaton Greenwalt hit a sacrifice fly, and Piepkorn took second on Gabriel Montoya’s sacrifice bunt. Adams and Jason Freeman followed with back-to-back RBI doubles.

Adams walked two and struck out three. Granger finished with one walk and four strikeouts.