The McCurdy Charter School baseball offense has been red-hot to start the year. Despite having games rained out, they have been able to score repeatedly early this season.
Through four games, the Bobcats have scored a total of 58 runs while allowing just 10, and that hot offense has propelled them to a 4-0 start early in their season. They added two more run-rule victories on May 27 over Pecos in front of the home crowd.
Sophomore catcher and pitcher Markus Martinez was especially strong on the day with six RBIs total, five in the first game with two triples, scored five runs, and threw a complete game one-hit shutout in game two with 13 strikeouts.
“Came in here confident, ready to win,” said Martinez. “We scouted them, we did our job. Today we just got things done the way we wanted to do.”
Junior Andres Borrego was also strong on the mound in the first game, striking out 11 in a five-inning complete game and allowing four runs, just three earned.
McCurdy coach Roberto DeVargas said the team is adjusting to all of the COVID-related restrictions, which prevent players from having sunflower seeds or gum on the field, and making sure they follow all the protocols.
“Last year, we didn’t have a season,” Martinez said. “It’s just fun to be back here playing with everyone, all my teammates, just playing the game, doing what I love to do.”
DeVargas said the biggest challenge has been scheduling games, with both the pandemic and weather issues causing difficulties to playing games. But the team is competing well despite all the challenges.
“They’re getting a lot better every game,” DeVargas said. “They listen a lot to me, and they listen to each other, and they help each other out.”
In the first game against Pecos, they came out of the gates swinging. Markus Martinez knocked in two with a triple, and sophomore left fielder Damian Quezada followed with an RBI double as the Bobcats batted around and scored five in the opening frame.
“We’re hitting the ball a lot better,” he WHO? said.
McCurdy added two more in the second, and four more in the third inning including another two-run triple from Martinez.
In the fourth inning, Pecos finally got on the board with a two-out rally, and put three on the board after an error.
The Bobcats added a run in the fourth inning, and led 12-4 into the bottom of the fifth, but Jeremiah Anaya knocked in a run with a grounder to get McCurdy over the 10-run threshold and end the game early, at 14-4.
“The pitchers are starting to get in a groove,” DeVargas said.
He said having games canceled hurt the pitchers’ momentum early.
McCurdy picked up right where they left off in game two, batting around in the first inning and putting six runs on the board, with a potential for more but they left the bases loaded. Two more came across in the second and third to give them a double-digit lead.
Meanwhile, Martinez was dominant on the mound in the later game, striking out multiple batters in every inning, and only allowing five baserunners the whole game with 12 strikeouts. With the five-inning shutout, McCurdy took a second run-rule victory, 10-0.
“They do a good job,” DeVargas said. “They listen to us, and they work as a team, and they play with a lot of heart.”
The season is looking up for a young Bobcats team that plays with eighth-graders in the starting lineup and heavily features underclassmen.
“We’re a young team,” Martinez said. “But we’re a pretty solid group.”
McCurdy faced Peñasco in a doubleheader on Tuesday, and next travels to Mora for another district doubleheader on Friday.