Eunice posts sweep over Rams

PORTALES - After getting run-ruled in the opener, the Portales High baseball team was an eyelash away from handing Eunice its first loss of the season on Friday night.

Trailing 3-2, the Cardinals scored once in the seventh to force extra innings, then tacked on two more in the eighth to claim a 5-3 win and sweep the doubleheader at Ram Field.

Eunice (6-0) notched a 12-2, run-rule win in five innings in the opener.

Eighth-grader Carson Pfaffenberger struck out 11 and allowed just four hits and two unearned runs in six innings in Game 2, and was in line for a win when the Rams (4-6) scored twice in the bottom of the sixth for a 3-2 lead.

Senior Hagen Rains doubled home the tying run in the sixth and scored the go-ahead tally on a single by Devin Diaz. Those were two of just three hits managed by PHS in the contest.

Junior Jordan Ruth, the third of four Eunice pitchers, picked up the win while senior Conagher Pierce earned a save.

In Game 1, the Cardinals erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning to break open a 5-2 contest. Shortstop Chance Tucker reached base all four times for Eunice, going 3-for-3 with a two-run single and two runs scored, while leadoff man Micah Tippett drove in three runs with a single and a two-run triple.

Seniors Marcus Tercero and Sean Stinson each had two hits for Eunice, including a second-inning leadoff inside-the-park homer for Stinson.

Senior right-hander Zeke Benton worked four innings for the win, allowing five hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Portales, which was outhit 14-6, got two hits apiece from sophomores Andru Ontiveros and Noah Swift.

The Rams were slated to host Roswell High on Tuesday night, then welcome Clovis High at 5 p.m. on Thursday to wrap up a five-game homestand.

Lady Rams fifth in Dexter tourney - After losing their opening-round game to Loving on Thursday, the PHS softball team rebounded to win twice and finish fifth in an eight-team tournament hosted by Dexter.

The Lady Rams defeated Eunice 11-6 in Friday's consolation semifinals before posting a final-round 16-1 victory over Hatch Valley on Saturday.

Portales (2-1) scored six runs in the first and led 8-2 after two innings against Eunice (3-5). Junior Abby Marquez went the distance in the circle and limited the Lady Cardinals to four hits, while adding a 2-for-3 outing with a double at the plate.

PHS finished with 14 hits, including two each for seniors Cashlin Fraze and Adrianna Garcia, junior Emma Long and freshman Angel Ornelas. Gracia hit a first-inning home run for the Lady Rams, while Fraze's hits were a double and a triple.

In Saturday's rout of the Lady Bears (4-4), PHS broke open a 2-1 game with eight runs in the third and six in the fourth, ending it on the 10-run rule after 4 1/2 frames.

Marquez allowed three hits against Hatch, while Garcia was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, junior Bailey Hinderliter finished 2-for-2 with a double and a walk and junior Kenzee Rowland reached base all four times at-bat with a double, a triple and two walks.

The Lady Rams had a Tuesday night game at Roswell High. The Lady Rams visit Ruidoso in a 4 p.m. doubleheader on Friday.