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Bulldogs post sweep over Rams

PORTALES - It was a quick turnaround for Portales High's baseball team against District 4-4A rival Artesia on Friday, and the two games didn't go much better than Thursday's contest.

The Bulldogs, who won the first game of the series at home 12-2, took two more wins from Portales on Friday at Ram Field - 21-4 in the opener and 6-1 in the nightcap.

Artesia (11-9, 3-0 district) pounded out 30 hits in the twin bill, including 21 in the first-game rout which ended in five innings on the 10-run rule. Meantime, the Rams (8-12, 0-3) committed seven errors in the two contests.

"We had too many errors," Rams coach Ruben Tellez said. "We have to figure out how to stop the bleeding.

"We've just got to learn that when you make mistakes, you have to overcome it."

Artesia took control of the opener with a seven-run second, then finished it off with an eight-run fifth. Senior Josh Madrid was 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and five RBIs while Cody Johnson, who drove in four runs, and Julian Rodriguez were both 3-for-4.

Junior Davian Molina held Portales to just four hits.

The second game was far more competitive, but the Bulldogs expanded a 2-0 lead with a four-run fifth, aided by two Rams miscues. Senior Hagen Rains held PHS in the contest until that stanza, when three of the Artesia runs were unearned.

"Hagen threw well this game," Tellez said. "He threw amazing. We just need to help him a little more."

Madrid, Johnson and junior Davian Molina each had two of Artesia's nine hits. Meantime, sophomore right-hander Nye Estrada came within one out of a shutout, but lost in on an RBI single by sophomore Kaiden Gutierrez to score junior Isaac Herrera, who led off the frame with a double.

The Rams return to action with three district games this week against Roswell Goddard - the first a 5 p.m. start at Ram Field on Thursday, followed by a doubleheader on Friday in Roswell.

Softball - At Roswell, the Lady Rams snapped a four-game District 4-4A losing streak on Saturday with a 5-2 win over Goddard in the first game of a doubleheader.

PHS then opened a 7-1 lead in the third inning of the nightcap, only to see the Lady Rockets use late back-to-back homers salvage a split with an 8-7 victory.

Junior Alivia Gonzales tossed a complete game in the first tilt, allowing eight hits. The Lady Rams (8-9, 1-5 district) grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the second, then added three more in the fourth before Gonzales took care of the rest.

Junior Kenzee Rowland went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles for PHS, while freshman Myleigh Banda added a run-scoring two-bagger.

For Goddard (8-12, 1-5), junior Ericca Cannon had two singles and a double in four trips while junior Andrea Manzanares was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

In Game 2, Portales broke open a 2-1 contest with a five-run third, but sophomore Lex Carrasco relieved starter Krishawna Casaus and held the Lady Rams scoreless the rest of the way.

Goddard pulled closer with three in the fifth before junior Ayriana Arellanes tied it in the sixth with a three-run homer. The next hitter, senior Alyssa Linares, also went deep for what proved to be the game-winner.

Banda went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in this one, while senior Cashlin Fraze finished 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in one. Linares also doubled home a run and led the Lady Rockets' attack, going 2-for-4.

Portales was slated to play its final four twin bills at Wheeler Park, beginning Tuesday night against district foe Artesia. The Lady Rams are back in action on Thursday against Dexter in non-district play.

 
 
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