Goddard topples Lady Cats with five in seventh

CLOVIS — Roswell Goddard scored five runs in the top of the seventh to break a tie and defeat Clovis High’s softball team 14-10 on Saturday, completing the sweep of a high-scoring doubleheader at Lady Wildcat Field. Goddard, playing its first games of the season, won the opener 23-10.

The Lady Wildcats (0-3) took a 9-8 lead in Game 2 when junior Chastity Hardy led off the bottom of the fifth with a triple to right field and continued home on a Lady Rockets throwing error. Goddard tied it in the sixth on a two-out RBI double to left-center by sophomore Kadence Ray.

In the seventh, Goddard sent 10 batters to the plate. Junior Alyssa Linares bounced an RBI double just inside third for the lead and before it was over, the Lady Rockets had their five runs on four hits.

Goddard outhit CHS in the nightcap 12-8. Hardy finished 3-for-4 and scored three runs for Clovis, while senior Jordan Angeles was 2-for-4.

Senior Valaree Manzanares, who picked up the Game 1 victory in the circle, came on in relief in the fifth inning of the nightcap and blanked the Lady Cats the rest of the way for the win.

In the opener, the Lady Rockets led 6-4 after an inning, then took control by outscoring CHS 5-0 in each of the next two frames.

Goddard took advantage of seven Clovis errors. The game was called after five innings on the 10-run rule.

Junior Luna Rodriguez led an 11-hit attack for the Lady Cats, going 3-for-4 with a double, while senior Jordan Angeles and junior Marina Sena each finished 2-for-4 with a double.

“We’re making adjustments; we’ve just got to put it all together,” first-year CHS softball coach Braelyn Krueiskie said. “We’ve got to close. We’ve got to make sure we finish out games.”

The Lady Cats were slated to host Portales High in a doubleheader on Friday, but it was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols at PHS. The next outing for Clovis will be on Tuesday in a doubleheader at Artesia.