Preps: Sandia baseball has productive Saturday as season winds down

James Yodice, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·2 min read

Jun. 13—With a week left in the 2021 regular season for high school baseball and softball teams, some districts now have clarity.

Others do not.

BASEBALL: Sandia took a pair of District 2-5A games Saturday from visiting Piedra Vista, 7-4 and 12-2.

That sweep, combined with La Cueva's split of a doubleheader at Farmington — the Bears won the opener 12-4; the Scorpions were 6-5 winners in Game 2 — created a first-place tie between the Matadors and Bears.

Sandia (14-2, 6-2 in 2-5A) and La Cueva (14-2, 6-2) both have two games remaining. The Matadors play West Mesa next Saturday, while the Bears face Eldorado. Both are doubleheaders.

La Cueva has the tie-breaking edge by virtue of two head-to-head wins over the Matadors.

In 1-5A, Rio Rancho (18-0, 6-0) can clinch first place either Tuesday at Cleveland (15-3, 4-2) or Friday at home against second-place Volcano Vista (11-6, 5-2).

Rio Grande already is the District 5-5A champ as that league has finished its district play.

—Albuquerque Academy (13-6, 7-0 in 6-4A) is a guaranteed district champ in Class 4A, while in 5-4A, first-place St. Pius (14-2, 5-0) visits second-place Belen (5-10, 3-1) on Tuesday.

Sandia Prep (14-4 overall), at 10-0 in District 4/5 in Class 3A, has locked up first place.

SOFTBALL: Los Lunas and Albuquerque High split two games on Saturday in District 5-5A, with the Tigers winning 15-5 and losing 1-0.

Los Lunas is 9-1 in district, AHS 8-1, and the Bulldogs have a game against Capital pending that was postponed by weather.

But that game won't improve Albuquerque High's position in 5-5A as the Tigers would be locked into first place regardless because of a head-to-head run differential edge on AHS.

In 2-5A, Piedra Vista (16-2, 8-0) leads, with La Cueva (12-4, 6-2) jumping over Farmington (8-10, 5-3) into second place after the Bears won two games — 12-1 and 12-0 — Saturday against the host Scorpions.

Top-ranked Cleveland already has clinched the District 1-5A title.

In District 6-4A, leading Valley has a road game at second-place Bernalillo on Tuesday.

The top two teams in 5-4A, St. Pius (16-3, 6-1) and Belen (10-7, 5-1) also square off on Tuesday.