FARMINGTON – The regular season for San Juan County prep baseball teams is winding down to its final weeks, with each game taking on greater significance with the postseason looming.
Here’s a glance at some of the action on the diamonds which took place during a chilly, windy Thursday afternoon.
The Shiprock High School baseball team, trailing at one point 8-4, rallied to score seven runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning before earning a walk-off victory at home Thursday over Aztec by a final of 12-11.
The win splits the District 1-4A campaign for the Tigers and Chieftains after a pair of games. Aztec won the first meeting between these teams in similar dramatic fashion by a final of 9-8 earlier this month.
Braeden Atcitty’s single in the bottom of the seventh inning broke an 11-11 tie, scoring Holden Etcitty and giving the Chieftains the second win of the district season.
Atcitty, who drove in four runs for the Chieftains, saved his most important at-bat for the game winner. With runners on second and third and nobody out, Atcitty roped a single to left-center field, scoring Etictty for the walk-off win.
Elijah Williams, who came into the game to relieve starting pitcher Logan Pioche, earned the win for Shiprock (7-10 overall, 2-5 District). Pioche threw five innings and allowed eight runs on eight hits and four walks as Aztec’s offense got out to a commanding 7-3 lead after three innings.
Both teams had their share of defensive miscues, with Aztec committing six errors and the Chieftains committing five of their own. Jacob Prada-Johnson, Xavier Newton, Justin Bixler and Izaiah Sanchez each scored a pair of runs for Aztec while pitcher Kale Watson was effective from the mound, striking out four.
Watson got into trouble to start the bottom of the fourth inning, walking Watson and Alexavier Yazzie in between giving up a single to Elijah Williams. Prada-Johnson came in to relieve Watson and allowed the Chieftains to score only one run, keeping Aztec in front 7-4 heading to the fifth inning.
Aztec extended the lead to 8-4 heading to the bottom of the fifth before the Chieftains mounted a huge rally, scoring seven times to take the lead.
A 2-out single by Atcitty that scored Etcitty and Pioche was preceded Etcitty’s 2-RBI single that plated both Dayshaun Benally and Tyler Etcitty.
Aztec rallied to score three times in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game, thanks to Bixler’s 2-RBI single which scored Newton and Prada-Johnson.
Aztec wasted a leadoff single in the top of the seventh by Watson, stranding him on the base paths and keeping the game knotted at 11-11 before the Chieftains rallied for the win.
The loss by Aztec (12-9 overall, 4-3 District) further muddies the race for top spot in the district standings. The District 1-4A defending champs are currently behind both Miyamura and Bloomfield atop the district race with only three games remaining on the schedule, including a showdown Saturday at 11 a.m. at Bloomfield.
Shiprock will visit Kirtland Central for a district game on Saturday at 11 a.m.
The Bloomfield High School baseball team extended its win streak to four straight games while knocking off Gallup by a final of 17-0 in a run-rule home victory at Bobcat Stadium.
Ryan Sharpe hit a home run and drove in four while Blake Spencer had three RBI’s and a triple as the Bobcats scored runs in both the first and second innings on its way to the win.
Bloomfield improves to 15-5 on the season (5-2 District 1-4A) and remaining tied atop the District 1-4A standings with Miyamura.
Sharpe struck out four Bengals hitters while allowing only one hit in three innings of work for the win. Elias Munoz closed out the contest striking out a pair of hitters, giving up only one walk in two innings of relief.
Bloomfield will be home on Saturday at 11 a.m. to face Aztec.
Chris Chavez had a home run and a pair of RBI’s while Dylan Joines scored three times and drove in a pair of runs as Miyamura High School’s baseball team routed Kirtland Central on the road by a final of 15-1.
The Patriots scored three runs in each of the five innings of the run-rule victory. They were led offensively by five extra-base hits and a commanding performance on the mound from starting pitcher Isaiah Martinez, who struck out six and allowed only three hits and a pair of walks.
The Patriots victory completes a sweep of the two-game series between the district rivals. Miyamura beat Kirtland Central by a final of 11-4 earlier this month.
Kirtland Central (12-11, 4-3 District 1-4A) has lost two in a row and will hope to bounce back Saturday at 11 a.m. when they host Shiprock.
Miyamura (9-11 overall, 5-2 District) has won four of its last five games and will visit crosstown rival Gallup on Saturday at 11 a.m.
