Coyotes topple Cats

CLOVIS - In terms of possible postseason play, little was on the line Thursday night at Bell Park.

Clovis High and Roswell High, both coming in with lengthy losing streaks, were just trying to get on the board in District 4-5A play.

In the end, it was the visiting Coyotes who outlasted Clovis 10-7 with a decisive four-run sixth.

The teams were ticketed for a doubleheader on Friday night at Roswell to end the regular season. The Coyotes (8-16, 1-6 district), who snapped a seven-game losing streak, were seeking a series sweep to keep their slim hopes alive of qualifying for the 16-team Class 5A state tournament beginning next week.

Meantime, the Wildcats (5-16, 0-7) were still trying to get a district triumph after dropping their 10th in a row.

"It's always a good thing getting a win in district," Coyotes coach Earnest Lujan said. "Being in a district like this (with state powers Hobbs and Carlsbad), it's tough to get wins."

Early on, the game had the makings of a pitchers' duel. The Cats broke through for three runs in the bottom of the second, but Roswell High quickly tied it with three in the third.

The Coyotes then took the lead with two in the fourth, but Clovis came back with a four-spot for a 7-5 advantage.

"When we scored three, I thought it would boost our confidence," Cats coach Richard Cruce said. "We didn't step on their throat when we had the chance."

Each side posted two double plays, but the teams combined for 14 walks, 10 errors, four hit batsmen and numerous wild pitches and passed balls.

CHS junior Jasiahs Jimenez started out well on the mound, but ran out of gas a bit and was lifted after four frames.

"The first inning he threw 10 pitches, the second inning 11, and then in the third he threw 23," Cruce said. "But we didn't help him a lot (in the field), either."

Senior first baseman Juan Jimenez went 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI for the Cats, while Jasiahs JImenez had a two-run single and shortstop Justin Lawson went 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored. But Isaac Loya got Lawson on a fielder's choice grounder to end it after pitching himself into a major jam.

"He had me biting my nails," Lujan said.

Loya walked three and hit one, but after walking the leadoff batter the Coyotes got a double play. Loya then struggled to find the strike zone and loaded the bases before senior Sabino Lazos, who moved from second base to third after Loya went to the mound in the seventh, bailed him out with a bit of a circus play between third and short against Lawson.

Roswell High outhit the Cats 10-6, with juniors Ivan Miramontes and Jerry Burrola and senior Millie Bonilla all collecting a pair of knocks.

Lujan said Lazos and fellow senior Isaiah Garcia would get the call on the mound in Friday's twin bill.

"We're going to ride them as long as we can, as long as they want to go," Lujan said.