Cats scratch back for split with Hobbs

CLOVIS — Clovis High baseball coach Richard Cruce wasn't feeling too good after the first game of Thursday's season-opening doubleheader against Hobbs at Bell Park.

Suffice it to say, his mood improved after the nightcap.

Junior Sebastian Nunez tossed a complete-game, five-hitter and the Wildcats bounced back after being run-ruled in the opener for a 4-1 win and a split against their former district rival. Hobbs won the opener 12-2.

"The first game, I lost a few hairs," Cruce said. "We just weren't ready to go, it looked like. We just made some 'young' mistakes."

The Cats, with an almost all-new squad, fell behind 6-0 in the top of the first in the opener on four hit batsmen — all with the bases loaded — and two walks. Hobbs managed only two hits in the inning off junior right-hander Connor Langrell, making his first start on the mound for the Cats after spending almost all his time last spring at third base.

Nunez, though, was in control throughout Game 2 in his first varsity start, walking no one and striking out four. All the hits off him were singles, including an RBI knock by losing pitcher David Ortega to make it 3-1 in the fifth.

Junior Tomas Gallegos went 2-for-3 for the Cats, driving in a run with a single in the first and an insurance run with an RBI double in the fifth.

"I was proud of the kids in Game 2," Cruce said. "Sebastian threw lights out. He was great on the mound in his first outing."

In the opener, called after five innings because of the 10-run rule, junior right-hander Tyrin Pacheco was the beneficiary of the early Hobbs outburst, throwing a complete-game four hitter with one walk, eight strikeouts and three 1-2-3 innings. He held the top four hitters in the CHS batting order hitless in 11 at-bats, with six strikeouts.

The Cats pulled to 7-2 in the second inning when Gallegos and Nunez reached on scratch singles with one out and scored, respectively, on an opposite-field hit by junior Colson Faircloth and a sacrifice fly by No. 9 hitter Joe Gallegos.

The Eagles broke it open with a fourth-run fourth, though, capped when second baseman Tyler Mendoza hit a two-run triple and scored on a throwing error on the relay.

Mendoza finished 3-for-4 for the Eagles, who collected 10 hits. Every spot in the Hobbs batting order scored at least one run, and eight players had at least one RBI.

Meantime, Nunez went 2-for-2 to account for half the hits against Pacheco.

The Cats are back in action next weekend at the Hobbs Invitational, facing Artesia at noon on Thursday.