Lady Rattlers sweep Logan

LOGAN - The playoffs-bound Tucumcari softball team finished its regular season last week with a doubleheader sweep of winless Logan.

The Lady Rattlers (13-10) won the first game 17-1, then emptied their bench and won the nightcap 21-0. Both games on May 2 were shortened by the mercy rule.

Tucumcari next will play in the Class 3A playoffs against Zuni on Wednesday at Cleveland High School in Albuquerque. (See other story in this edition.)

Tucumcari's Mireya Estrada pitched both games, going a total of seven innings. She allowed two hits and one walk while striking out nine.

Estrada kept Logan's hitters off-balance - to the dismay of coach Dustin Robertson - by changing speeds on her pitches

"Our bats didn't show up today," Robertson said. "Our bats had been pretty decent in the last two weeks. Their pitcher is very good; she knows how to use her pitches, and she's around the (strike) zone."

In the opener, Tucumcari grabbed a 7-0 lead in the first inning on two hits, five walks and three Logan errors. The Lady Rattlers added nine runs in the third on five walks, one hit batter, four hits and one error.

Sierra Valverde rapped three hits and drove in four runs. Izabela Reid added three RBI on two hits.

In the nightcap, Tucumcari inserted seven new players to the starting lineup and kept hitting. The Lady Rattlers totaled 21 hits and eight doubles, with Kylee Carmichael, Tayden Hyslop, D'Naylie Rivera and Kirksey Smith each driving in two runs.

Tucumcari coach CJ Oglesby said he wasn't that surprised to see his second-string players hit well.

"The girls that come off the bench work their butts off, and you can see that progression in their hitting and their confidence," he said. "It was good to see."

One bright spot for the Lady Longhorns was freshman catcher Marilyn Cortez Moreno, who threw out two Tucumcari runners attempting to steal and nearly nailed several others trying to advance on wild pitches. She also drove in Logan's only run of the day on a single with two runners aboard.

"She's a stud, and she wasn't even going to play softball when basketball was over," Robertson said. "I talked her into playing. You could see the girl had a great arm, even in basketball. Now she's having fun. And her bat's been great all year."

Though their 0-19 record after the doubleheader doesn't reflect it, Robertson said his team has improved its skills all season. Logan is rebuilding after a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"They've been getting better all year," he said. "They come to practice, having fun and ready to work. If they're having fun, it's easy to come out here and get better."

One day later, Logan earned its first victory of the season, during the finale against Clayton. (See other story in this edition.)