Lady Rattlers sweep Raton in home opener

Alexus Lafferty hit a game-winning RBI double in extra innings, capping the Tucumcari softball team's 11-10 comeback victory over Raton in its home opener Friday.

The win, where the Lady Rattlers overcame an eight-run deficit, set the tone for an 11-9 win in the second game of the non-district doubleheader.

Tucumcari improved to 5-3 overall. Raton fell to 1-8.

Tucumcari coach CJ Oglesby admitted he was thrilled by the comeback in the first game.

"I'm really happy all the way around, a real adrenalin rush," he said. "This is why I do this. I'm proud of every one of them - the players, the coaching staff, all the work they put into this."

Oglesby gave a lot of credit to starting senior pitcher Juli Rivera, who he described as "the heart of the team." She overcame a rough start and shut out Raton for three consecutive innings while teammates chipped away at the deficit. Rivera struck out five and walked one.

"We just grinded it out, scored and played good defense," Oglesby said. "Juli let the other team put the ball in play, and our defense took care of it."

The Tigers opened the game with four runs in the first inning on four hits, including two doubles, and two errors. Tucumcari's outfielders struggled a bit during that inning against 40 mph wind gusts.

Oglesby admitted his team was nervous early.

"Our nerves are always getting to us because we're so hyped. We get out there with jitters," he said.

The Lady Rattlers answered with a run in the bottom of the first. Haisley Huffman reached base on a dropped third strike, stole two bases and came home on a wild pitch.

The Tigers collected six hits during the third inning, including back-to-back doubles, for a 9-1 lead. Tucumcari's chance for a victory looked slim.

Then Lady Rattlers began whittling Raton's lead:

- In the fourth, Sierra Valverde hit a double and scored on Alexis Ramirez's double. Tucumcari scored two more in the inning on two errors, a stolen base and two wild pitches. The Lady Rattlers trailed 9-4.

- In the fifth, Harley McKinney and Lafferty singled. McKinney scored on a groundout by Angel Vasquez, and Lafferty scored on a wild pitch. The score was 9-6.

- In the sixth, Ramirez and Kylee Carmichael reached base on a walk and being hit by a pitch. A catcher's throwing error on a McKinney's bunt and a wild pitch scored two more. The score was 9-8.

- In the seventh, Valverde singled with one out, and Janae Pena pinch-ran. Pena advanced on a groundout, and Ramirez singled to score her and tie it.

The winning run was at third base with two out, but Amaya Roybal's hot shot up the middle was knocked down by Raton's pitcher, and she threw to first to retire the side.

Oglesby praised his team's outfield play, with freshman Carmichael moving to left field and the speedy Huffman anchoring center.

"With Kylee playing left, I think we have one of the best outfields in the district with our speed and everything," he said.

Meanwhile, Tucumcari kept making good defensive plays to prevent big innings. A key moment was a double play with two runners on in the seventh. Rivera speared a line drive for the first out, then threw to third to double off the runner.

In extra innings, each team starts with a runner on second base. Raton scored on a single and groundout to make it 10-9. The Tigers later tried a steal of home, but Roybal tagged the runner out at the plate to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the eighth, Roybal advanced from second to third on a grounder, and McKinney brought her home on a bunt single to tie it, 10-10.

Lafferty belted a pitch over the center fielder's head to drive home McKinney with the winning run. Lafferty made it to third base without a play, but it was scored a double because she had crossed only second base when the game-winning run scored.

"I knew she was going to come through and hit the ball hard," Oglesby said of Lafferty's clutch hit. "She was due, but she has all the confidence in the world."

In the second game, Tucumcari surged to an 11-5 lead after six innings and held on for the win. Carmichael drove in two runs for the Lady Rattlers, who were walked 10 times and stole seven bases.

Rivera earned the win again, striking out six and walking three in seven innings.

Oglesby said three of his players had been ill that week, including Valverde and Roybal. He gave them credit for playing Friday.

"Big wins for this team," he said. "Just very happy with the team."