Baseball team drops season opener

The Tucumcari baseball team dropped its season-opening doubleheader Saturday at West Las Vegas by scores of 7-0 and 18-3.

Rattlers starting pitcher Ryan Birch took the loss in the first game, allowing three earned runs in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked three.

The Dons (3-1) scored four unearned runs during the game on three Tucumcari errors.

West Las Vegas seized control with a five-run third inning.

In the second game, the Dons broke open a 2-2 tie with six runs in the second inning and eight in the third.

Tucumcari committed eight errors and managed just four hits.

EJ Martinez suffered the loss with 14 runs — all but one unearned — in 2 2/3 innings before having to leave the game after taking a line drive off his shin. He struck out one, allowed seven hits and walked four.

Johnathan Blea finished out the last 1 1/3 innings for the Rattlers.

“Ryan looked really good” in his pitching outing, first-year Tucumcari coach Dennis Dysart said. “One pitching doesn’t look too bad. I’m feeling very confident about the pitching.”

Dysart said he anticipates stronger performances from his team once it works more on fundamentals, including fielding.

Joey Dysart went 3-for-6 during the doubleheader with two runs scored, and Andrew Casteel went 2-for-5. Martinez scored a run, and Ayden Lusk drove in two runs.

Tucumcari doesn’t play again until a March 21 doubleheader against Robertson at Las Vegas. Its first varsity home game is against Santa Rosa on March 24.