Local baseball, softball teams hit the road with mixed results
FARMINGTON — Though it may be spring break for many students, prep softball and baseball action resumed for teams across San Juan County, with tournaments taking place both around the state of New Mexico as well as in Arizona.
Here's a recap of some of the action from local and area teams competing this week.
Softball
Farmington High School finishes second in Phoenix tournament
The Farmington High School softball team had a good showing in the Tolleson West Valley softball invitational near Phoenix, winning their first four games earlier in the week before losing in the championship game.
The Scorpions started the tournament beating West Point (Avondale, Ariz.) High by a final of 13-0, followed by a win over Verrado (Buckeye, Ariz.) by a final of 5-1, and continuing on Saturday with a blowout win over Youngker (Buckeye, Ariz.) by a final of 20-0. They moved into the championship bracket after an 11-1 win over Estrella Foothills on Saturday.
In the tournament finale, Farmington was edged by Chandler High School by a final score of 5-4.
The Scorpions went 5-1 in the tournament overall, improving their record this season to 8-3.
"It was a great weekend of growth for the team," said coach Tim Trotter. "We just ran out of time."
Pitchers Rikki Wilkie and Marianne Lee combined for a no-hitter in the win over West Point, while Wilkie continues to have a strong season at the plate, where she is hitting .500 for the season thus far.
The Scorpions softball team has won six of their last seven games and will get back into tournament action this coming weekend at Cleveland High School.
BLOOMFIELD 13, Valencia 5
Senior Dione Archibeque scored four and drove in three in a big performance Friday as Bloomfield rolled over Valencia by a 13-5 score in softball action at Bloomfield High School.
Archibeque went 4-for-4 at the plate with a home run and a double, sparking the Bobcats offense to a five-run first inning and a 10-4 lead after just three innings.
Sophomore Neveah Garcia threw five innings from the circle for Bloomfield, striking out five and allowing only one run on four hits.
Bloomfield (2-5) has won each of their last pair of games after starting the season winless through five games. They will be back in action Tuesday at 6 p.m. when they host Aztec.
Baseball
KIRTLAND CENTRAL 7, Cobre 5
SANTA FE 6, Kirtland Central 4
The Kirtland Central High School baseball team picked up a 7-5 win over Cobre on Friday in the Jim Pierce Memorial Tournament at St. Michael's High School in Santa Fe.
Junior Rutherford Becenti drove in a pair of runs while going 2-for-3 at the plate while freshman Jay Tsosie also picked up a pair of hits and drove in a run.
Senior Levon Begay picked up the win for the Broncos, pitching six innings and allowing eight hits and four runs while striking out three.
Tournament action continued on Friday for the Broncos, who came up short in nine innings, losing to Santa Fe by a score of 6-4.
The Broncos coughed up leads in both the fourth and eighth innings during the contest, while losing for the second time in their last three games.
Kirtland Central was up 2-0 going into the bottom of the fourth inning before the Demons tied the game. The game remained deadlocked going into the eighth inning, when Kirtland Central scored twice, giving them a two-run cushion in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Santa Fe responded, scoring two runs of their own in bottom of the eighth before picking up the game-winning runs in the bottom of the ninth, earning their sixth straight win and improving their record to 6-5 on the season.
Lucas Gabaldon picked up the win for the Demons while also contributing at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a run scored.
BLOOMFIELD 12, Pojoaque Valley 7
POJOAQUE VALLEY 9, Bloomfield 1
The Bloomfield High School baseball team split a doubleheader against Pojoaque Valley on Tuesday, winning the opening game by a final of 12-7 before dropping the nightcap by a final of 9-1.
Senior Mark Armenta had four hits for the Bobcats in the opening game of the twinbill, while also pitching 2 2/3 innings in relief of starting pitcher Andreas Gordo.
Bloomfield jumped out to an 8-0 lead after 2 1/2 innings of the opener, then held off a mild Elks rally scoring a run in the fourth and three more times in the fifth inning.
In the nightcap, Pojoaque Valley scored six runs in the first inning on their way to a 9-1 victory. Bloomfield struggled advancing runners in the second game of the doubleheader, stranding runners in scoring position in five innings of the game.
Seniors Zach Fresquez and Joel Gonzales continue to lead the way at the plate for Pojoaque Valley, with a combined batting average of .333 through the first seven games of the season.
WEST LAS VEGAS 1, Navajo Prep 0
The Navajo Prep baseball team remains winless this season, with West Las Vegas handing them a 18-0 blowout loss on Saturday.
The Eagles (0-9) have been outscored 139-21 so far this season and will look to bounce back on Thursday at home in a doubleheader against Shiprock Northwest.
Steve Bortstein can be reached via email at SBortstein@Gannett.com, via Twitter @DTSBortstein or on the phone at (505) 635-2680. Support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Farmington High softball team picked up momentum in Arizona tournament
