Karen Boehler
CCSR writer/editor
Noon Optimist runner Matt Shanor slides in safely under the glove of EastSide catcher Fermin Portillo.
(CCSR photo by Karen Boehler)
DEXTER — All three games on the opening day of the Little League Minors tournament in Dexter came under the mercy rule, starting with a 17-1 blowout by Alamogordo over Tularosa and a 13-2 pounding of Roswell’s EastSide by defending district champ Noon Optimist.
The first inning told the story of the EastSide/Optimist game.
While EastSide starter Carlitos Montoya threw three strikeouts, in between K’s Noon Op scored eight runs — only three earned — on a half-dozen EastSide errors.
Montoya ran the count full against leadoff batter Gavin Garcia, who then doubled. An error put Logan Mathison on base and Garcia on third, then, after the first strikeout of the night by Montoya, Cameron Stevenson tripled to make it 2-0.
Zayne Carrillo followed with an RBI single, then with two down, three more errors and three singles — the singles by Justin Carrasco, Garcia and Mathison — made it 8-0.
EastSide scored its first run of the night when leadoff batter Isaiah Carmona reached on an error, advanced on a wild pitch and came home of a fielder’s choice.
They had other chances — loading the bases in the third and leaving runners stranded in the first, second and fourth — but only managed one more run in the fourth when Davian Chavarria walked and came home on a single by Carmona and long fly out by Ponce.
Noon Optimist manager Greg Maloney was happy with his team’s effort.
“They did what I asked them to,” he said. “They came out and jumped up early in the game and held them to two runs. We got all our pitchers in the game and got them to break the ice a little bit, so we did exactly what we wanted to do today.”
Five different Noon Op pitchers only allowed four total hits, while three EastSide pitchers gave up 10 hits.
“I think nerves had a little bit to do with it,” said EastSide manager Juan Bejarano. “They would settle in and settle out and they had a good inning. Made a couple of errors but we fought back and we will come back and hopefully we will meet these guys again.”
And while Noon Optimist only had one scoreless inning — Montoya struck out two in the second and got the third out on a popup — Bejarano knows his team has to improve in several areas.
Lion Steven Garcia gets to the bag just ahead of the catch by Ruidoso third baseman Mikhail Barela.
(CCSR photo by Karen Boehler)
“There’s a couple of things we’ve got to work on,” he said. “It wasn’t just that one (inning) that hurt us. There were a couple of innings, but we’re going to do our best and come back.”
Their comeback will start Tuesday vs. Ruidoso, which fell to Lions Hondo in the nightcap.
Noon Op will face Lions Hondo in the winner’s bracket Tuesday, and Maloney is happy his team got such a big win.
“I was hoping we’d get a big lead in the first so we’d have a little pressure off us and get everyone in,” he said. “For all but about three kids, this is their first tournament, so get them in and get them relaxed a little bit. We got some jitters out of the way today.”
Lions Hondo 15, Ruidoso 4
The early innings of the nightcap between Lions Hondo and Ruidoso looked like it might be a close game, but after the Roswell squad settled down a bit, they broke it wide open and made it the third mercy-rule win in a row, 15-4.
“We pitched four or five kids tonight, then when we relaxed and got comfortable the kids started making plays and then it kind of relaxed everyone,” said manager Joe Carpenter. “It was like a shot in the arm. Everyone believed in themselves after a while.”
The Lions scored first blood when Steven Garcia singled and came home on a single by Chris Carpenter.
But Ruidoso came back in the bottom of the stanza, plating two on a leadoff double by Isaiah Otero, a wild pitch and a single by Dominic Barela, who came home on a single by Dominic Barela and another passed ball.
Lions Hondo started putting things together in the second, scoring five runs on two hits and two Ruidoso errors, added three in the third and six in the fourth.
Meanwhile, the Lions pitchers held Ruidoso scoreless in the second and third, and would have gotten out of the fourth scoreless but for three errors.
And Ruidoso right fielder Josh Duncan kept the score closer in the top of the third when he made an amazing catch of what looked like a sure hit by Palomino.
Nine of the Lions Hondo runs came from the top three batters in the lineup — Luis Lara, Palomino and Carpenter — who came in on strong hitting by those below.
“We were really pleased with Joseph Carrillo’s pitching, and the hitting of our 3-4-5 hole hitters,” coach Carpenter said. “They seemed to get some RBIs and the one and two hole set the table for them. So we were happy.”
Patrick Brown, who started on the mound for Lions Hondo, also scored three runs.
Ruidoso manager Steven Otero said his team simply had a tough night.
“Our kids are a better team than what we showed today,” he said “I think (it was) a little bit of nerves. Traveling. An hour and a half to get here. But I know we can play better.”
They’ll have to travel again Tuesday, but Otero hopes his squad will pick up vs. EastSide in a must-win game for both teams Tuesday.
Lions Hondo will have to face Noon Optimist in a 5:30 p.m. championship game, but Carpenter is ready.
“I think we’ve got the defending champs, right? But it’s baseball,” he said. “You throw the ball, hit the ball and catch the ball, and if we can do things well we’ll have a shot at beating them.”
Tuesday's nightcap will pit host Valley — which got a bye Monday — vs. Alamogordo at 7:30 p.m.
For more sports news, go to Chaves County Sports Report