HIIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL ROBERTSON versus ST. MICHAEL’S

Visiting Robertson made the blunders and St. Michael’s turned them into  opportunities Wednesday morning to claim the District 2-3A baseball title and hopeful of a high seed in the state tournament.

After the game between these two rivals on Tuesday was halted because of lightening and resumed the next day when the Cardinals filled the bases in the third inning and came after scoreless as Horsemen junior starter Derek Martinez pitched his way out of the jam.

Robertson, in fact, put a runner on base every frame, but came away empty as Martinez toiled 5 and 1/3 innings before he was relieved by senior Thomas Erickson. So it was scoreless when the game resumed.

Then came the bottom of the seventh and the Horsemen did what the Cardinals didn’t, respond.

It was all even at 1-1 when it began with sophomore Reyes Baros grounding a one-out single. He sped to second on a wild pitch into the dirt by Robertson senior hurler Caleb Marrujo, Sophomore Rahul Williams followed with a base-on-balls, and up stepped junior Issac Ruiz, the son of Horsemen head coach Augustin Ruiz.

Ruiz then rapped a 2-1 pitch that went past sophomore third baseman Ace Gonzales and the celebration was on. He had also contributed to the other run in the fifth inning. He led off with a walk, then raced around the bases on three, yes three, wild pitches by sophomore starter Adrian Rivera.

In the top of the seventh after the Cardinals scored once in the fifth, Marrujo drilled a one-out double to right field. He then stole third. But when Rivera, the batter, hit a slow grounder to Ruiz at second base, Marrujo was undecided as Ruiz struggled to glove the ball but then got it to first for the crucial second out.

Meanwhile, Marrujo hesitated at third. He started to race home, then went back to the bag, and it proved costly as he was stranded there. Then he went to the mound and proceeded to give up the winning run in the last of the frame.

Robertson had scored the initial run when senior Steven Lovato came through with an RBI double, but he was thrown out attempting to stretch it into a triple.

Martinez allowed only two hits but issued six walks and hit two batters.

Now 12-5 overall and finishing 7-2 in district, St. Michael’s is in quest of a No. 1 seed for the state tournament as current No. 1 Albuquerque Sandia Prep lost, 3-2, to the Horsemen and thus could lose the tiebreaker. Robertson is now 9-7 and 5-3.

It has been so far a gifted home schedule for Ruiz’ team. It went 8-2, won over Sandia Prep, defeated Robertson there after splitting a doubleheader at the Cardinals, plastered district foe West Las Vegas, 20-4 and 15-0, and was beaten at Raton in the contest proceeding the game versus Robertson after routing the Tigers, 10-2 and and 18-2 at the Christian Brothers Athletic Complex.