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Clovis, Portales start district play

With all the Tiger-mania going on this past weekend, it seems fitting to use a golf term with regard to the Clovis and Portales baseball seasons.

Right now, they’re at the turn, ready for the back nine.

This week is the first for each in district play. Clovis opened District 4-5A competition Tuesday night by hosting Carlsbad, so by the time you read this, the Wildcats will have already tapped in the metaphoric putt on Hole 10. Portales begins its District 4-4A slate with a road game at Artesia on Friday (5 p.m.), the start of a three-game weekend series between the teams.

For both, it’s a quest for a district championship with state tournament berths and seedings at stake, as these are regular-season games that help toward earning those. Plus, how the Wildcats do against solid 5A teams, how the Rams fare in the 4A fray, could be good indications of how each might do in states if they get there.

It’s a crucial stretch, for sure.

“We’ll be prepared,” Clovis sophomore pitcher Josh Martin said after notching a complete-game victory against non-district foe Portales last Friday.

Clovis is scheduled to follow Tuesday’s game at Bell Park with a Thursday doubleheader at Carlsbad, beginning at 5 p.m. The Wildcats next play a home district game on Apr. 25, when they entertain Hobbs, also a scheduled 5 p.m. start.

Portales’ Friday-afternoon game will be soon followed by a Saturday doubleheader at Artesia, beginning at noon. Late next week, the Rams visit Goddard for three before their only home district series — a three-game set against Lovington — beginning May 3 (5 p.m.).

“It’s going to be tough,” Portales head coach Dusty Nusser said of the Rams’ district schedule ahead. “Goddard and Artesia are powerhouses in baseball in our class. It’s going to be really tough. I like our chances. Our kids have grown a lot over the course of the season, and like I told them (after last Friday’s game against Clovis), ‘We’re 0-0, Artesia’s 0-0 going in, Goddard’s going to be 0-0 when they start (district) against Lovington.’ So I like our chances, and we’ll go and we’ll compete and have some fun.”

Softball

Clovis’ and Portales’ softball teams are also in their first week of district competition.

The Lady Wildcats hosted a doubleheader against Carlsbad last night, and are home for two against Hobbs on Thursday, beginning at 5 p.m. Clovis’ first district road action will be next Tuesday at Roswell (5 p.m.).

After Thursday’s twinbill, the Lady ’Cats aren’t back at the Wildcat Softball Complex until May 3 against Roswell (5 p.m.).

The Lady Rams began their district play Tuesday night with a pair at Artesia. They won’t return home until next Tuesday (4:30 p.m.) against that same Artesia team.

 
 
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