Lady Rams fall as Goddard puts up 3-run seventh

Portales High’s softball team was close enough to breaking through in District 4-4A on Tuesday night that the Lady Rams could almost taste it.

PHS led 2-1 after two innings, then scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to tie visiting Roswell Goddard only to see the Lady Rockets post a three-run rally in the top of the seventh for an 8-4 victory.

Portales (10-13, 0-7 district) outhit Goddard 8-5 for the game, with sophomore Anetsy Acosta and eighth-grader Amaya Lujan both going 2-for-3. Acosta drove in a run, while freshman Annaleah Lujan singled to drive in one run and also scored.

Sophomores carried the day at the plate for the Lady Rockets (13-11, 3-4), with Quiana Gonzales going 2-for-4 and scoring twice, Marisol Hernandez finishing 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run and Marissa Crawford adding a two-run single.

In the circle, senior Gabriella Flores went the distance, walking none and striking out six.

The Lady Rams, ranked 15th in Class 4A this week by MaxPreps, were slated to close the season with a district twin bill on Friday night at top-ranked Artesia.

In District 4-5A at Hobbs on Tuesday, the Class 5A fourth-ranked Lady Eagles (20-4, 9-1) made short work of Clovis High, posting 19-0 and 13-0 victories over the Lady Wildcats (2-22, 0-10). Clovis was slated to end its season at home on Friday night with a pair of district tilts against Roswell High.