SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
St. Michael’s baseball team was happy to follow up a dismal opening game with a masterful second one.
And after the split against visiting West Las Vegas Saturday, the Horsemen maintained their one-game lead in Class 2-3A over Robertson.
But game one, a 13-3 loss, was one to forget as Dons’ freshman southpaw Mateo Duran allowed only four hits over six innings, but in game two it was just what St. Michael’s head coach Augustin Ruiz was looking forward to.”
“We scored seven times over the first three innings,” Ruiz said, “and it still wasn’t the resemblance of the team that I know they are. But the West Las Vegas kid they threw in game one did a good job, give them credit. He kept us off balance and we couldn’t make any good adjustments.”
But in the 9-0 shutout that followed, it was the Horsemen coming away with a stellar pitching effort from junior right-hander Elijah Archuleta. He tossed a 3-hiiter with nine strikeouts, and senior Rahul Williams, usually the relief hurler, has a big day at the plate with four hits in seven at-bats that included a home run and three singles.
Williams, who usually starts at second or third base, was the third baseman in the second game, and Augustin was very happy with what he said was another good pitching gem by Archuleta.
“Every time he throws,” said the coach, “he does a good job, and this time he went all seven innings.”
St. Michael’s is now 12-8 overall and 6-2 in district. The next stop is a non-district contest on Thursday at Albuquerque Sandia Prep. WNY, 10-6 overall and 4-3 in district, is home to district and crosstown rival Robertson on Tuesday.
In softball at Las Lunas, Capital came away with a 5-5A doubleheader sweep, 16-6 and 12-5, to improve to 14-4 overall and 4-2 in district and move into a second place tie with the Tigers.
The Jaguars took the opener via a seven-run first inning and added four more in the third to command a 12-4 lead. In the closer, Capital had another big frame with a 13-run third inning, and with the win going to right-handed senior starter Athena Grimley.
The big bat in game one came from sophomore catcher Brooke Salazar’s 2-for-4 that included a single, double, and four RBI. Then there was freshman first baseman Brooklyn Cardenas homering in each game to run her long-ball streak to four games.
What’s next for the Jags is a district doubleheader versus crosstown foe Santa Fe High on April 22.
Also in softball, it was a non-district doubleheader at Grants for undefeated Santa Fe Indian School, and it puts it at 15-0overall as the Braves now play host to non-district opponent Monday.
The big bats belonged to senior first baseman Adrianna Herrera and senior third baseman Alexis Vigil in the pair of 5-inning, mercy-rule games. Herrera went 2-for-3 and that included her initial home run, a solo shot in game two. Also in that contest, Vigil was 2-for-3 and also included a home run.
The winning pitcher in the first game was right-handed freshman starter Hannah Martinez, and in the second one senior and team captain righty Shade Phea Young was in the circle and struck out six of the nine batters she faced in a shortened perfect game.
