Rattlers fall to West Las Vegas

The Tucumcari baseball team looked OK in the early in its season-opening game last week. Then the dam broke in the fourth inning.

West Las Vegas erupted for 17 runs during that frame en route to a 23-3 victory April 20 at Tucumcari that was shortened to five innings by the 10-run mercy rule.

The Rattlers went through three pitchers in that inning - starter Johnathan Blea and relievers Joey Dysart and Luiso Molinas. The prolonged fourth featured a slew of singles, walks, a hit batter and a couple of errors. Blea allowed 11 runs in a little more than three innings, and Dysart and Molinas each allowed six runs.

"Johnathan wore out, Joey had a groin injury and shouldn't have been pitching, and Luiso was hittable," Tucumcari coach Dennis Dysart said.

Dysart said his team was hampered the lack of four players still involved in basketball season, plus a lack of scrimmage time in practice and general inexperience.

"Only two players have played a season of varsity baseball," coach Dysart said.

The Rattlers drew first blood in the opening inning with opening singles by Dysart and Khobie Salvador. Dysart scored on a groundout by Blea, and Salvador scored on an error for a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the inning, Blea escaped a bases-loaded jam when centerfielder Josh Infante caught a line drive and doubled the runner off second. Blea struck out the next better to keep the Dons off the scoreboard.

Tucumcari added a run in the fourth when Infante reached base on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on an outfielder's error and scored on two wild pitches.