A heart-breaking one-run loss to rival Los Alamos in the first game of a doubleheader followed by a 15-2 loss in the second game knocked the Española Valley Sundevils down to third place in District 2AAAA.
The Sundevils fell to 3-2 record in District play and Los Alamos took over first place with a 4-0 record. Bernalillo sits in second place at 4-1.
The Hilltoppers entered the doubleheader with a deceiving 3-10 record overall, but Española coach Anthony Alarid didn’t take the Hilltoppers lightly.
“Their record was not at all indicative of the kind of team they had,” Alarid said. “We’re just going to have to come back.”
Los Alamos lefty Lucas Coker picked up the victory in both games.
“He wasn’t overpowering, but he had good control of his curveball,” Alarid said.
The Sundevils held a 9-4 lead in the first game after scoring six runs in the top of the fourth inning. The big blows were a two-run double by Sean Salazar and a two-run single by Jesus Chavez. Los Alamos scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and added four more runs in the fifth inning to hold onto a 11-10 victory. Coker came in to relieve starter Ryan Schleft and picked up the win.
“We got up on them, but we made a couple of mistakes that allowed them to get back in it.” Alarid said.
Española pitcher Joaquin Schoepner struggled from the start of the second game and Los Alamos put together seven hits and scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning. Schoepner didn’t return to the game after the first inning due to a pulled groin muscle.
“He said he did it while warming up and it just got worse,” Alarid said. “He just couldn’t go any more. When he went down that really took the air out of us.”
It is uncertain when Schoepner will return to the pitching rotation.
Gonzalez came on in relief and held the Hilltoppers scoreless for the next two innings, but Coker was holding the Sundevils in check, yielding just one hit over the first three innings.
Los Alamos added eight more runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 15-0 lead. The Sundevils finally got to Coker with two outs in the top of the fifth inning. Singles by Corey Atencio, Greg Serna and Fresquez brought two runs home, That wouldn’t be enough to extend the game, which ended in the fifth inning under the 10-run mercy rule.
Española has suffered three consecutive losses. The Sundevils fell April 7 to Santa Fe High School 11-7 in Española in a nondisatrict game.
“We’ve got three games left against Bernalillo and we see Los Alamos again,” Alarid said. “We have to make the most of the games we have left.”