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Luna sluggers win 2 of 3 at Otero
Luna Community College baseball swept Otero Junior College in a Saturday doubleheader, 9-6 and 16-7, to clinch a series win in La Junta, Colo. The host Rattlers pulled off an 8-6 squeaker in the series finale on Sunday.
Game one was knotted up at 1-1 going into the top of the fifth inning. That’s when Luna surged to score eight runs and force Otero to play catch-up. Dusty Sipe drove in four runs and joined Matthew Gelwick in hitting home runs for the Rough Riders. Gelwick and Tony Limon had two RBI apiece, and Francisco Ochoa, James Cardenas, and David Amaya all had two hits apiece. Chisum Rush (2-3) struck out six en route to a win; K.T. Gearlds recorded his third save.
The Rough Riders did not trail in game two, scoring in each of the first three innings and leading 6-0 midway through the fifth. Otero got on the board in the bottom of that inning, cutting the lead in half to 6-3. But after adding a run in the sixth, Luna went off for nine runs in a wild eighth. Cardenas homered and doubled and drove in three RBI for the Riders. Brandon Zwiener’s two hits included a home run; he notched a game-high four RBI. Milo Behrens, Ochoa and Limon had multiple hits, and Collin McWethy added a triple. Ochoa, McWethy and Limon accounted for two RBI each. Logan Wilson (3-4) held the Rattlers to two earned runs on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts through seven innings.
On Sunday in the finale, Luna had a slower start and saw a late rally fall short. Otero struck for two runs in the bottom of the first and led 3-0 after three frames. It was 5-3 midway through the seventh. The Rattlers padded their lead with three runs in the bottom of that inning before Luna rallied with a three-run ninth. Behrens tripled and notched two RBI for the Riders; he was one of five Luna players with two hits apiece. Sipe and Amaya both hit doubles. Ruger Bravo struck out seven in a start that went six innings.
Meanwhile, it was a weekend of learning for the young Luna softball team, which lost four to visiting Northeastern (Colo.) Junior College.
Northeastern has emerged as one of the premier teams in the conference at 24-12 overall and 11-3 in league play.
The Plainswomen prevailed in a couple of entertaining slugfests on Saturday at New Mexico Highlands University’s Cowgirl Field, 11-3 and 25-16. Stacy Bott homered and drove in three runs for Northeastern in the opener; in the pitching circle, she allowed five hits and struck out six.
Luna led game two 3-0 and 8-6 but the visitors took the lead for good in the top of the third, with Maddy Rule and Natalie Fosdick driving in five runs apiece for the game.
Game three on Sunday was forfeited because of injury and lack of substitutes by the Riders – Rule homered twice to help the Plainswoman score 21 runs in three innings – before they put up a better battle in the finale, a 14-3 verdict. Desiree Perales collected five RBI for Northeastern in support of Sara Lynch’s pitching win.
To highlight the Rough Riders’ weekend, Luna freshman Victoria Gonzales hit her first collegiate home run on Saturday, then followed it with her second on Sunday.
Luna baseball, coached by T.C. Nusser and assistant Harry Estep, is slated to host Trinidad State Junior College at noon on Wednesday, April 14, then visit the Trojans April 17-18 in Trinidad, Colo.
Luna softball, coached by Steve Wallace and assistant Thomas Royder, is also scheduled to play at TSJC this weekend; doubleheaders are set for 1 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday.