News
Good weekend for Rough Riders
Luna baseball, softball teams earn splits of series
By Dave Kavanaugh
Luna Community College
Rallying from an 8-1 deficit, the Luna Community College softball team found a way back and eventually defeated El Paso Community College 12-11 in extra innings Saturday, March 19, at Cowgirl Field.
It was the Rough Riders’ first home game of the season after a lengthy 19-game road swing.
Luna went on to win Saturday’s second game, 5-1, before El Paso took a pair of competitive contests on Sunday, 8-5 and 7-3.
In the opener, Luna’s Sinai Cisneros doubled and scored from third base to tie it at 1-1 in the second inning. But the Tejanas pulled ahead again with a three-run third and hit a three-run home run to grab an 8-1 lead in the top of the fifth.
Lexi Johnson doubled to score Victoria Gonzales to make it 8-2 in the Luna half of the frame. But it may have been a big defensive play that really fired up the Rough Riders. Raegan Shackelford provided it, hitting the dirt for a sliding catch to record an out in the top of the sixth.
In the bottom of the inning, Luna scored six runs to draw even, beginning with a bases-loaded RBI by Nicole Chavez. Johnson belted a three-run triple, unofficially, and Mya Ortega drove in Johnson. Then Ciara Cruz doubled in another run to tie it at 8-8.
El Paso seemed to steal the momentum back in the top of the seventh. A couple of defensive errors and a walk helped the Tejanas score three to regain control at 11-8. But the Rough Riders answered with three runs of their own, just enough to extend the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, again the Tejanas seemingly gained the upper hand, loading the bases with just one out. But clutch defense by Luna denied any scoring while pitcher recorded the final two outs. Then, in the bottom half, Luna loaded the bases and Ortega showed patience at the plate in drawing a walk to push across the winning run.
In game two, Luna built a 4-1 lead by the third inning and ended a would-be rally when Ortega made a beautiful dive for a flyout in center field, stranding El Paso runners to end the visitor half of the fourth.
In a replay of the conclusion of game one, Ortega drew a walk with the bases jammed in the fifth, making the final margin 5-1.
Both of Sunday’s games were close throughout. In the finale, Bree Maldonado’s speed on the basepaths highlighted a 2-0 head start for Luna. Jenai Santa slid home on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 through two innings. And Cisneros’ hustle in right field robbed the Tejanas of a hit. Imani Hall and then Val Manzanares provided steady pitching much of the way for the Riders.
The Tejanas pulled within 3-2 and then took the lead late. An RBI double by Alexis Marquez followed by Sadie Gordillo’s three-run homer lifted El Paso to a 6-3 lead in the top of the seventh. An error got it to 7-3.
Luna managed to load the bases but El Paso’s defense held for the win and series split.
El Paso (8-8) had previously swept a four-game home series vs. Luna Feb. 19-20.
Luna (5-23) is scheduled to continue the homestand by hosting McCook Community College for a four-game series this weekend at Cowgirl Field. First pitch Saturday is set for 1 p.m.; action resumes at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Likewise, Luna baseball got the sticks going to earn an even split of its home series with Western Nebraska Community College.
The visiting Cougars won game one 7-0 only to have the Rough Riders answer with a 7-0 win in Saturday’s game two. Luna took a 4-0 cushion into the sixth inning and got insurance when Kekoa Ogawa scored on an error and Diego Quinonez’s RBI sacrifice fly made it 6-0. Kobe Carpio drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 7-0.
Western Nebraska prevailed 5-1 in game three, but Luna responded by taking the series finale 8-2, getting one of the better team offensive performances in recent days.
Milo Behrens began the Riders’ scoring output with a sacrifice fly to score Dominic Lucero for the tying run, and then Samuel Estrada dashed home on an error for a 2-1 edge in the first inning. Bo Kidd drove in Carpio for 3-1. Ashton Whiteaker roped a two-RBI single to the outfield, and then Quinonez scored Whiteaker with an RBI double to make it 6-1.
In the top of the second, the Cougars had runners at the corners with two out, and Luna pitcher Chisum Rush struck out the side.
In the bottom of the third, Lucero singled to score Ogawa for an 8-1 advantage, and the Cougars managed just one run after that.
WNCC (8-16) was Region IX tournament champion last season.
The Riders (5-28) play a four-game set at McCook this coming weekend in McCook, Neb. Game time is noon both Saturday and Sunday.