Cats notch needed sweep

CLOVIS — The Clovis High baseball team picked up a much-needed sweep Saturday afternoon, taking a District 2-6A doubleheader from Santa Fe High by scores of 5-4 and 8-4 at Bell Park.

Junior Sebastian Nunez led the way for the Wildcats (15-7, 4-2 district), going 5-for-7 with three RBIs over the two games and picking up a save in the opener. Juniors Connor Langrell and Colson Faircloth earned mound wins for the Cats.

"The sweep is always good and you have to protect your home field, especially in this district," Clovis coach Richard Cruce said. "Protecting in a need-to-win situation is huge."

Faircloth threw five innings, allowing only two earned runs while fanning two batters in the opener. Langrell pitched a complete game in the nightcap, allowing only one unearned run and one hit through six before running into trouble in the Demons' three-run seventh inning.

"In the last inning with two outs, we are going to let them hit balls as hard as they can," Cruce said. "They squared up on them and put some runs up on the board, but Connor did well — especially in the heat that we hadn't seen all year, he pitched well."

The opener saw three lead changes, with Clovis going up early 1-0 before the Demons (8-12, 0-6) tied it in the top of the second. A three-run fifth by Clovis looked like it would be enough for the win, but Santa Fe once again answered back with two runs in the sixth to tie the score 4-4.

"(I'm) very proud of the kids, they found a way and competed hard," said Cruce. "They did everything I asked them to do at the dish and again, competed and found a way to win."

A single by Traejn Reames scored Cam Kuykendall to put the Wildcats back on top in the bottom of the inning, and Nunez pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for the save.

The second game was a different scenario for the Wildcats, who scored three runs in the first inning and four more in the second. Clovis finished the contest with nine hits to Santa Fe High's five — with four of those Demons' knocks coming in the final inning.

Fighting the heat, Langrell tossed a complete game. He was virtually untouchable through six innings — his only concern was four hit batsmen and a walk.

The Demons managed four hits of him in the top of the seventh inning, but it was too little, too late.

Langrell finished with four strikeouts to improve to 5-1 with two no-decisions on the 2016 campaign.

Clovis resumes district play on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Albuquerque against Sandia.