By Marty Mayfield

KRTN Multi-Media

It was another windy day in Raton on Wednesday, May 2nd as the boys took the field for the first round of 16 in the New Mexico State 3A Baseball Championships. With #7 seed Raton hosting #10 seed Tucumcari at Gabriele Field in what would be a very close game for seven innings. Raton trailed by one in the last inning and had the tying run on second and the winning run on first, but a line drive hit by Raton’s Richie Gonzales was caught by Tucumcari third baseman Alijah Jimenez to end the game and the season for Raton with a 4-3 final score.

Jaydon Romero started on the mound for Raton but was replaced by William Holland as Romero walked his first two batters. Alijah Jimenez would get a base hit to bring them around to score the first runs of the game. In the home half of the first, Raton’s lead off hitter, Trevor Portillos, singled but was stranded as Josh Walker, Tucumcari’s starting pitcher, struck out the next two Raton batters for the first of seven Ks.

Tucumcari added to their lead in the third, when George Gutierrez was hit by a pitch and would score on a Alijah Jimenez hit, to lead three to zero. George Gutierrez was the big run maker as he scored three of the four runs for Tucumcari.

In the bottom of the third, Raton’s would get one back as Isaiah Samora singled and with two outs, was brought home on an RBI double by Cole Medina.

Raton would tie it up in the fourth as Robert Horner got a pitch into the wind and it carried to the wall for a lead-off double. Gabe Martinez, who had not played since April 28th after tweaking his hamstring, showed he was fully healed as he lined a shot down the left field line, scoring Horner and ending up on third. He would be brought in on an RBI single by Dante Romero, but Romero was stranded when Walker got the next two batters to fly out.

Josh Walker went the distance for Tucumcari and only had three walks while striking out seven of the 34 batters he faced while allowing 11 Raton hits. William Holland struck out four of the 15 batters he faced and Dante Romero who was tagged with the loss for Raton, but pitched well, faced 13 batters and struck out four with no walks for the three innings he pitched. Raton allowed Tucumcari only six hits, but proved enough for the win.

Congratulations to the 2018 Raton Tiger Baseball Team. They finished as District Champs with an 11-1 record and their overall record was 16-11.

Seniors on the squad were: Richie Gonzales, Will Holland, Gabe Martinez, Cole Medina, Trevor Portillos and Dustin Segura.

Mike Marez Head Coach
JR Alderette Asst. Varsity
Nick Aragon Fielding
Albert Ortiz Head JV
Mikey Garrett Asst. JV/Pitching
MIke Litt Pitching

Game Stats – 5/2/18 Tucumcari Varsity at Raton Varsity

Box Score

TUCUMCARI VARSITY (4) AT RATON VARSITY (3)

TUCUMCARI VARSITY    AB  R  H BI  RATON VARSITY        AB  R  H BI
Josh Walker           3  1  0  0  Trevor Portillos      4  0  1  0  
George Gutierrez      2  3  1  0  Isiah Samora          4  1  1  0  
Alijah Jimenez        4  0  2  1  Matthew Quartieri     3  0  0  0  
Ryan Birch            3  0  0  0  Cole Medina           4  0  2  1  
Joseph Martinez       3  0  0  0  Jaydon Romero         3  0  1  0  
Mark Padilla          3  0  2  0  Robert Horner         3  0  2  0  
Joey Dysart           3  0  0  0  Richie Gonzales       4  0  1  0  
Mathew Lopez          3  0  1  0  Dylan Quartieri       1  0  0  0  
Vicente Sepulveda     2  0  0  0  Gabe Martinez         2  1  1  1  
 Isaac Arias          1  0  0  0  Dante Romero          3  0  2  1  
                                  *Richie Acevedo       0  1  0  0  
TOTALS               27  4  6  1  TOTALS               31  3 11  3

TUCUMCARI VARSITY             201 010 0 -- 4  
RATON VARSITY                 001 200 0 -- 3  

LOB--TUCUMCARI VARSITY 5, RATON VARSITY 10. ERR--Mathew
Lopez, Alijah Jimenez, Andrew Sandoval, Isiah Samora,
Matthew Quartieri. 2B--Mathew Lopez, Robert Horner, Gabe
Martinez, Cole Medina. HBP--George Gutierrez. SB--George
Gutierrez, Josh Walker (2), E.J. Martinez, Richie Acevedo,
Trevor Portillos, Isiah Samora, Dante Romero, Cole Medina
(2).

 TUCUMCARI VARSITY               IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Josh Walker (W)                7.00   11    3    3    3    7    0
 RATON VARSITY              
Jaydon Romero                  0.00    0    2    2    2    0    0
William Holland                4.00    4    1    1    0    4    0
Dante Romero (L)               3.00    2    1    0    0    4    0

PB--Robert Horner. WP--Josh Walker, William Holland.
SO--Joseph Martinez (2), Vicente Sepulveda, Mathew Lopez,
Ryan Birch (2), Josh Walker, Joey Dysart, Richie Gonzales,
Trevor Portillos, Isiah Samora (2), Matthew Quartieri (2),
Dante Romero. BB--George Gutierrez, Josh Walker, Robert
Horner, Matthew Quartieri, Jaydon Romero.