Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Staff photo: Matthew Asher Lady Wildcats first baseman Jaren Piepkorn takes the throw from shortstop Desiree Garcia and tags out Portales Kiersten Ramirez on a first-inning double play in Saturday’s softball matchup at Lady Wildcat Field. Portales posted a 20-8 victory over Clovis.
Sports writer
Tori Cordova’s big day would’ve been even a little sweeter if she’d managed to do one thing — hit a triple. As it was, she did plenty.
link Staff photo: Matthew Asher
Lady Wildcats first baseman Jaren Piepkorn takes the throw from shortstop Desiree Garcia and tags out Portales Kiersten Ramirez on a first-inning double play in Saturday’s softball matchup at Lady Wildcat Field. Portales posted a 20-8 victory over Clovis.
Cordova went 4-for-4 with five RBIs, including a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the third inning, as Portales posted a 20-8, run-rule softball victory over Clovis High on Saturday at Lady Wildcat Field.
Cordova also had a double and two singles to fall a three-bagger short of the cycle, and she scored four times.
“I just try to come out and help my team out,” said Cordova, one of only two seniors on the Lady Rams’ roster.
While she realized how close she was to a cycle, Cordova said she wasn’t trying to hit one out in her third-inning at-bat.
“I was just trying to get on base and knock in some of those runs,” she said.
Portales (7-4) put the game completely away with an unwieldy 14-run fourth in which the Lady Rams batted around twice, compiled 10 hits and took advantage of six Lady Wildcats errors.
Meantime, Portales collected 17 hits in the game.
“Even in that (fourth) inning, we hit the ball solid,” Lady Rams coach Robbie Crowley said. “We have a long ways to go as a team, but we’re making progress.”
CHS starter Celeste Chavez could’ve easily had a better fate, coach Freddy Perez said.
“Celeste isn’t a strikeout pitcher, so we’ve got to play some defense behind her,” Perez said. “She’s young and still learning to pitch, but she’s a great competitor.”
Chavez did lead the Lady Cats (5-9) from the plate, though, going 4-for-4 with a two-run single and three runs scored. Clovis finished with nine hits.
“We hit the ball at Moriarty, too (in a doubleheader split on Thursday),” Perez said. “We just stranded a lot of baserunners.”
Eighth-grader Wendy Baeza pitched four innings for the win, giving up four runs in the fourth with the help of four PHS miscues. Ironically, both sides went down in order in the fifth and final frame against relievers Mariah Chavez of Clovis and Daizia Looney of Portales.
Senior Kirsten Ramirez, the Lady Rams’ workhorse in the circle the past couple of seasons, now plays shortstop — in part, due to a shoulder issue.
“Having Wendy and Daizia (to pitch), we’re better with (Ramirez) at shortstop,” Crowley said.
Cordova thinks the Lady Rams, who lost in last year’s Class 4A state semifinals, have the ability to make another run this time.
“We can do better,” she said. “We’re still working on it. Our pitching and defense is pretty solid, but I think our hitting is going to come around.”
Both teams begin district play next week, with Portales hosting East Mountain in a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Thursday in District 4-4A and Clovis visiting Carlsbad in a 4:30 p.m. twin bill in District 4-6A on Friday.
