Rams run-rule Eldorado, 14-1

By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

On a day when high school sports began its final conversion from winter to spring, the Rio Rancho High baseball team almost had a football score.

The Rams batted around in the fourth and fifth innings and posted a 14-1 victory at Eldorado, losing the shutout on a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth by Jason Day. It was one of only three hits surrendered by Rio Rancho pitcher Alex Wehner, who threw only 63 pitches in the complete game victory ended after five innings by the 10-run mercy rule.

Meanwhile, the Rams pounded out 14 hits off four Eldorado pitchers, including a double, a triple and two home runs, to break up a pitcher’s duel after three innings.

Rio Rancho broke a scoreless tie in the third when No. 9 hitter Kris Martinez hit an 0-2 fastball over the fence in left-center field off Eldorado starter Chris Sears (0-1), making his first start of the season. Josh Walker followed with an infield single and stole second ahead of a walk by Blake Swihart, and both moved up a base on a passed ball. But Sears got out of the jam by getting Bryar Mueller to ground out.

After Wehner struck out the side in the third, Eldorado went to the bullpen and moved Sears behind the plate. Unfortunately for the Eagles, he had less success catching pitches than he did throwing them.

Rio Rancho scored five runs in the fourth off reliever Dustin Wakely, Robert Rodella led off with a single, just past diving shortstop Jason Day, and Ben Matheson missed a home run by perhaps 10 feet by hitting into a taller part of the wall in left field. Ethan McCranie followed with a single, scoring Rodella and moving Matheson to third, and Iseha Hines’ sacrifice fly scored Matheson.

When Wehner flied out to center, it appeared Eldorado was going to strand McCranie and escape with only a three run deficit. But Martinez reached base on an error by Eagle third baseman Kyle Davis, with McCranie moving o second. McCranie then scored and Martinez moved to third on Walker’s single to left before Swihart capped the rally with a two-run triple to right field.

Wehner was strong again for RRHS in the fourth, allowing only a single to leftfielder Jake Perea (his second hit of the day). Then the Rams put it away with eight runs in the fifth, lighting up Davis for eight runs and eight hits.

Rodella again started the rally, this time with a walk. Matheson was hit by a pitch and McCranie picked up another RBI with a single to right before Hines blasted a three-run home to right to make the score 10-0.

Then the Rams moved in for the kill. After Wehner flew out to right, Martinez reached base for the third time with an infield single, which second baseman Bobby Blackstone threw away and allowed Martinez to reach second. When Walker walked and Swihart grounded out the Eagles were again just one out away from escaping the jam, but Muller singled home two runs  and Roella homered to left for two more, putting Rio Rancho ahead by two touchdowns and making Day’s homer in the home half meaningless.

The Rams, 4-3 and winners of two straight, will open play in the three-day Las Cruces tournament against Mayfield on Thursday. The Rams return home for a March 24 contest against Manzano before playing host to the second annual Sal Puentes Memorial tournament starting on Thursday, March 26.

WILL BE UPDATED WITH QUOTES.