Starting the bottom of the fourth inning with singles by senior Gabe Archuleta, freshman Stephen Romero, senior Sonny Flores and senior Ambrose Valdez, the Ignacio Bobcats not only chased Centauri sophomore starter Grayson Hunzeker off the mound, all four ’Cats would score, but ignited a rally producing two more runs in the frame, and ultimately a 9-7 victory at IHS Field on Tuesday.
Inheriting a 1-2 count on Joseph Atencio after CHS head Tyler Buhr decided to replace Hunzeker, starting second baseman Dylan Gallardo managed to get Atencio to fly to right, then struck out Evan Maez for the second out. But just when it appeared the Falcons, who came in having scored just eight runs in their last six games (including two forfeit wins over 2A Trinidad) while giving up 53, might still protect a lead winnowed down to 7-3, Gallardo’s control suddenly vanished.
With the majority of his pitches arriving shoulder-height or higher, Gallardo walked Max Mendoza (driving in Romero), Zackariah Loudenburg (scoring Flores) and Shaun Sanderson (plating Valdez) in succession. Not only did the free passes chop the guests’ lead down to 7-6, but leadoff man Archuleta then singled to center and knocked in Mendoza and Loudenburg.
“We just took advantage of bad balls they threw,” Archuleta said. “Being disciplined at the plate … swung if it was perfect-perfect.”
Sanderson then attempted to swipe home when Gallardo threw wildly to Romero, but was tagged out by the pitcher after catcher Leland Chacon retrieved the ball and made an accurate return throw. Still, the damage was irreparable and the momentum unstoppable as IHS, now up 8-7, went out into the field for the fifth inning.
Standing a precarious No. 35 in CHSAA’s Class 3A Selection & Seeding Index prior to the May 12th contest, Centauri (11-12 overall, 0-8 3A Intermountain) managed to get runners aboard during the next three frames, but left two on in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the deciding seventh as Romero, initially summoned when Valdez struggled during the Falcons’ seven-run breakout in the third, gave up zero runs and only two hits during that stretch.
After surrendering what ended up being CHS’ final run – Kendrick Martin, via a third-inning, two-out single by, coincidentally, Hunzeker – Romero (W; 4.2 IP, 3 H, R, ER, BB, 3 HB, 2 K) ultimately wrapped up a contest lasting two hours, 22 minutes fielding a Hunzeker bouncer back to the hill and tossing the ball to first baseman Valdez (2.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 HB, 3 K) to record the final out.
“I felt pretty good, but with my arm angles, I need to work on getting more on top (of the ball),” Romero said.
Having scored the game’s first run, Archuleta also belted a triple to deep right in the Bobcats’ sixth and finished 3-for-5 with two runs and as many RBI. Romero went 2-4 with a walk, two runs and one batted in, and Valdez was 2-4 with a run.
SPECIAL START: Injured for much of the season and still walking with his left foot/ankle in a protective boot, IHS left-hander Stoney White Thunder-Lucero nonetheless went out to the mound as head coach Isiah Valdez’s official Senior/Parent Day starter, and got the game underway, firing a strike to Falcon designated hitter Kingston Jaramillo with his last pitch at home.
The game was then paused for a few minutes as an emotional White Thunder-Lucero (ND; 0+ IP) received handshakes and hugs from his teammates and coaches. As planned, righty Valdez then took over on the bump.
COMING UP: Standing 24th in the 2A Selection & Seeding Index before hosting Centauri and thus already locked in for the upcoming 2A regional tournament, the Bobcats (13-10 overall, 7-2 2A/1A San Juan Basin) were officially seeded 24th the next morning. Ignacio will next travel to Las Animas for action on Saturday and face No. 9 Peyton (16-5 overall) at 12:30 p.m.
“We just need to make less errors and hustle more, and I think we’ll do pretty good,” Romero said.
Hosting the Region VIII event, eighth-seeded Las Animas (17-6) will duel Ault-based No. 25 Highland (9-14) in the 10 a.m. first-rounder, with the surviving squads then squaring off that afternoon at 3 p.m.
OUT OF THE EQUATION: Bayfield will not be taking part in 3A postseason play. IML champion Montezuma-Cortez (18-5 overall, 8-0 IML) had a lot to do with that, devastating the Wolverines (8-15, 3-5) 22-0 and 20-0 Thursday at BHS.
Bayfield still ended up ranked 32nd in the classification’s Selection & Seeding Index, but the regional bracket’s No. 32 seed went to Denver-based Abraham Lincoln – 39th in the Index – which finished 16-6 overall and, most importantly, a first-place 9-1 in 3A/2A City League play.
