Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Tucumcari softball team dropped its district opener Friday with a 15-4 home loss in five innings against Ruidoso.
The Warriors, which scored in every inning, surged to a 7-1 lead in the top of the third and added a total of 10 runs in the fourth and fifth.
Taeden Hyslop drove in two runs on a single for the Lady Rattlers. Alexis Ramirez and Haisley Huffman each went 2-for-3 with an RBI, including a solo home run by Huffman.
Juli Rivera suffered the loss for Tucumcari, allowing 11 hits and four walks and seven earned runs in four innings. Harley McKinney pitched one inning of relief, allowing three runs.
Ruidoso totaled 18 hits, include four RBI each from Destiny Luevano and Guiliana McAllister.
“That team can hit the ball,” Tucumcari coach CJ Oglesby said. “We learned a lot from this game. We’re also starting to hit the ball a lot better.”
Rylee Holder earned the win for Ruidoso, striking out six while allowing six hits, two walks and one earned run in a complete game.
Oglesby also was impressed by Ruidoso’s eighth-grade catcher, Shaeleigh VanWinkle, who went 2-for-4 with two triples.
“She’s the best catcher I have seen play the position,” he said.
Ruidoso improved to 10-5 overall and 3-0 in district play. Tucumcari fell to 5-4, 0-1.