Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Warriors add three wins in Thoreau Invite

Nat Holland El Defensor Chieftain

Socorro baseball team is young, but performing to meet high expectations

The Socorro High School baseball team started off four weeks of road games on the right foot with three solid wins at the Thoreau Invite.

The Warriors defeated Wingate 23-0 in the first round on Thursday, Hot Springs 15-6 on Friday and Thoreau 13-8 on Saturday in the tournament championship game.

Socorro (8-1) stomped Wingate, finishing the game in five innings. The Warriors scored 10 runs in the first inning before easing up.

"Everyone hit the ball well," Socorro coach Alan Edmonson said. "All around it was a good game for us."

Charlie Savedra (2-0) opened against Wingate (0-4), and struck out six batters in three innings. Kenneth DeCosta closed out the game with another six strikeouts against six hitters in the final six innings.

Jerron Herron (3-0) picked up the win against Hot Springs and Andrew Contreras finished up. Hot Springs (2-5) would have scored even fewer runs, if not for a few Socorro errors, according to Edmonson.

SHS leadoff batter Matt Lyon was on fire at the plate against Hot Springs, going 3-for-4 with a triple and a double and four runs scored.

"When your leadoff batter does that well for you it is a good thing," Edmonson said. "Fifteen runs with four at-bats against a district opponent is pretty solid. When we only have three strikeouts you know we are going to be scoring.

"Thoreau was a much, much improved team from when we played them at the beginning of the year," Edmonson said. "And we played poor defensively. We made five errors that really hurt us. That is something we definitely want to work on and improve. After we win 23-0, I don't think the kids have the same fire."

The highlight of the game, according to Edmonson, was a two-run, in-the-park home run by Andre Gonzalez that went over the head of the Thoreau center fielder.

"It was legitimate, no errors," Edmonson said. "With Andre being as fast as he is, they never had a chance. Justin Zuni was on first base and Andre was right on his heels when he reached home."

Senior Zack Gallegos (1-0) opened against Thoreau (3-7) on the mound, but was relieved by Elias Mora (1-1), who came in to get the final out of the fifth inning and the score tied 6-6. Mora gave up two runs in the final two innings but picked up the win.

"With Elias out of the lineup (due to an injured wrist), we haven't had the protection for Zack (Gallegos)," Edmonson said. "We tried Zack as leadoff hitter since most teams don't want to walk the leadoff and then face the normal one, two, three batters behind him, and it paid off."

Gallegos was 3-for-4 against Thoreau, and got on base four times.

Whether the team could live up to the performance of recent years was a question that has haunted the Warriors.

"People have been worried about 'Life without Johnny' (Chavez)," Edmonson said. "We've shown that we're going to lose guys and still bounce back every year."

Chavez was a pitcher who graduated in 2007, and is currently pitching at Frank Phillips College, in Border Texas.

"Our pitching is outstanding right now. We couldn't ask for any more," Edmonson said. "Charlie Savedra is a sophomore and he is 2-0 and hasn't given up an earned run. We have seven arms. Keeping these guys on the mound and giving them the ball is going to be tough."

Other teams may wish they had the full bullpen Socorro has, and the options it provides.

"The good thing is the other team is never going to know who they are going to face," Edmonson said. "I can watch their game and make the decision the day before. Come playoff time that is going to be a big advantage."

Socorro travels to West Las Vegas on Saturday, March 29, to play a doubleheader that begins at 11 a.m. The Warriors then travel to Albuquerque to face Sandia Prep on Tuesday, April 1, in a doubleheader that begins at 3 p.m.

"Sandia Prep will be a pretty good gauge of where we're at," Edmonson said.

nholland@dchieftain.com

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