Portales softball shut out by Bulldogs

PORTALES - RyLee Crandall and Wendy Baeza both worked quickly on the hill in Friday night's District 4-4A softball doubleheader. Not quickly enough to avoid a one-hour rain delay, but quickly enough to still finish the contests at a reasonable hour after the weather passed.

Crandall worked just a little bit faster, pitching a pair of shutouts as the visiting Bulldogs took 2-0 and 4-0 wins at Wheeler Park. She allowed just five hits on the evening, including a one-hitter in the nightcap.

"We did string a few hits, but we couldn't put anything together," Portales coach Nathan Dodge said. "We had a few bunts we got for hits. We'd get a base hit, strike out; get a walk, strike out."

In the opener, Crandall faced just four batters over the minimum, and was aided by a pair of double plays. She and Gabby Gomez put the only runs on the board with RBI singles in the fifth for Artesia (18-3, 7-1).

Baeza pitched well enough to win most district games, scattering10 hits over seven innings. She struck out eight with no walks and one hit batter.

The second game saw Crandall dominate with 15 strikeouts and just one walk. She faced just 23 batters as her Bulldog teammates played errorless ball behind her.

Kamiley Marquez went 3-for-4, with a pair of doubles and two RBIs to lead Artesia. Tanner Sanchez and Gomez both went 0-for-4, but added RBI groundouts.

Baeza gave up 11 hits and three walks over the nightcap, while striking out six.

Portales (11-11 overall) dropped to 2-6 in district play, but has a pretty good chance to finish the district season .500 with home doubleheaders Tuesday against Lovington and Friday against Goddard.

"I'm pretty confident playing at home," Dodge said, "and playing both of those teams."

after Friday night had an outside chance to finish second. Portales is battling Lovington for second, and the Wildcats had five games left heading into Saturday - the completion of a rained-out twin bill Saturday, plus doubleheaders Tuesday at Portales and Friday at home against Artesia.

Lovington, which split with Artesia on Tuesday, would win the district by going 5-0. The Wildcats could also end up third if they go 0-5 and the Rams take the second spot on a run-differential tiebreaker. Lovington swept Portales April 19, but both were one-run games.

The Class 4A state tournament will be a 16-team field. The first round will be single-elimination with games held at the higher seeds, with the eight remaining teams playing in a double-elimination bracket the following week in Rio Rancho.

The 4-4A champ will get an automatic seed, and the remaining teams will have to wait on an at-large selection.

"I think even if we were to get the 3, we'd make it," Dodge said, "but I think we'd have to travel."