St. Michael’s wins back-to-back games to get passed Cobre

St. Michael’s had to win back-to-back games  Saturday versus visiting 14^th seeded Cobre in order to survive in the best-of-three opening round of the state baseball tournament    

Horsemen lose one, win two to advance to Thursday quarterfinals against Bernalillo at Rio Rancho High

By Arnie Leshin

St. Michael’s knew beforehand that Cobre wasn’t a 14^th seed, that the Indians were tournament-tough and could present quite a problem to the 3^rd seeded Horsemen in the best 2-of-3 opening round of the state 4A baseball tournament.

Well, all was correct, Cobre did pose a problem that got bigger after it took game one Friday. It put St. Michael’s and its home fans concerned, knowing it would have to take two on Saturday or turn in its gear.

The Horsemen survived, barely. From the 2-1 game one defeat, they had all to do in coming together to even things at a game each with their 6-4 win Saturday morning.

In the afternoon, ht was another nail-biter before first-year head coach Augustin Ruiz’ District 2 champions won 4-3 in the decider.

Number one, they took a collective deep breath and advanced to Thursday’s  single-elimination quarterfinals against 6^th seeded Bernalillo (16-12) at Rio Rancho High, with the first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.

Number two, it’s puzzling how Cobre was handed the 14^th seed in the 16-school field. Even Ruiz was surprised when he noticed it and concerned when he learned he was lined up against the Indians, who have won six state championships and have been in a dozen finals.

And who defeated St. Michael’s, 5-4, in the Jim Pierce Memorial tournament hosted by the Horsemen in March. And before that, shut down a good St. Michael’s team, 3-2, when the two met in the 2013 quarterfinals.

Cobre (15-14) didn’t take kindly to its low seeding and came to play. Friday, it received stellar pitching, good fielding, a few clutch hits, and again got to celebrate versus the Horsemen.

In game two the next day, junior Seth Latham powered the way to the tough 6-4 win. His two-run home run in the last of the first was a good way to start for the home team. Then he hit the game-winner in the seventh and was mobbed by his teammates while the Horsemen faithful took a deep breath and were happy that there would a deciding contest.

St. Michael’s sent Jude Mondragon to the mound and he went the route, the third straight time this occurred in the three games. And Mondragon helped his own cause by coming up with two hits, one an RBI double in the fourth inning.

Delgado had a hot bat, going 6-for-8 and walking once in this round. In the fourth frame of game two, he drove home a run to cut the Cobre deficit to 2-1, and after gaining the lead, all it needed was to hold off the upset-minded Indians.

“Just as I said”, were Ruiz’ words following the game. “I told everyone that this Cobre team deserved a higher seed and we would have to play real well to beat them, so I’m proud of the way my kids kept their composure, battled back, never quit, and now we move on.”

St. Michael’s and Bernalillo were the only ones to have to go three. All the other top seeds won in two games.

The Spartans, out of 5-4A, went against St. Michael’s district rival, 11^th seeded Las Vegas Robertson, and had to do as the Horsemen did after also losing game one on their home field and having to also take two the next day to survive.

So after being shut down on Friday, 3-0, Bernalillo responded to take game two, 5-1, and game three, 8-4. The Cardinals finished at 16-13 and came in fourth in distract play.

In the rest of 4A, top seeded Albuquerque Hope Christian (21-7) swept 16^th seed East Mountain, 16-2,10-2. Second seeded Portales (21-7) did the same to 15^th seeded Santa Fe Indian School, 10-0, 2-0. Silver (19-9), the fifth seed, ousted 13^th seed Moriarty, 6-2, 13-3, while the seventh seed, Ruidoso (16-10) downed 10^th seed Shiprock, 10-2, 5-2.

New Mexico Military Institute (17-6-1) is the 8^th seed and it eliminated 9^th seeded West Last Vegas, 2-0, 11-10. Albuquerque Sandia Prep, the defending champion, entered as the 12 seed and left with 8-4 and 5-4 losses at 5^th seeded Taos (18-8).

Hope now meets NMMI. Portales, in the bottom bracket, goes against Ruidoso. The fourth match-up sends Taos against Silver.

The semifinals are Friday, the finals at Isotopes Park on Saturday.