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No let-up for Nucla against Ignacio

Bobcats fall by 13 to Mustangs

Second-inning triples-by second baseman Caden Colson and catcher Mason Riddle-helped visiting Nucla rip open what had been a three-run game and race away to an 18-5 victory over Ignacio Tuesday afternoon.

With Bobcat lefthander Zach Weinreich struggling early at SunUte Field, walking four Mustangs in the top of the first inning, the visitors put up four fast scores.

IHS got one run back in the home half of the frame, with cleanup stick Iaasic Peña singling in 3-man Tucker Ward from second with two out. But after both sides were left wanting in the third, the invaders put the game out of reach with four runs in the top of the fourth.

Helped by getting a double-play ball off the bat of Mustang leadoff hitter Devyn Rummel, third baseman Austin McCaw was able to work out of the jam allowing no further damage, and IHS got an RBI-double by Weinreich (L; 1.2 IP, 5 H, 9 R, 5 BB, HB, K) plating Andrew Martinez in the bottom of the fourth.

Faced with a possible 10-run mercy-rule fate after Sutherland tripled and scored on a Watt sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth, making the score Nucla 14, Ignacio 2, the 'Cats gave themselves at least one more inning when Ward doubled in Joe Herrera, then scored himself along with Medina when Peña singled up the middle.

Reinvigorated by their enemy's resilience, Nucla responded in the top of the sixth by cycling through all nine slots in the order for the third time in the contest.

Herrera and 9-man Timmy Plehinger got aboard for Ignacio with two outs in the home half, but Medina went down swinging to end the game one frame short of regulation length.

Ward finished 2-for-3 with two runs and one ribbie, and Peña was 2-3 with three runs batted in. Herrera reached base all three times-via a single, a walk, and on a catcher's interference against Riddle in the sixth. Plehinger and Weinreich each went 1-2.

The Mustangs improved to 2-1 in the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League. Nucla is the highest 'Receiving Votes' team in the CHSAANow.com Class 1A poll, released April 13.

The 'Cats (2-7, 0-2 SJBL) will travel this afternoon to face the 4A Bloomfield, N.M., JV (4 p.m. start), then return to host 1A's #9 Dove Creek tomorrow for a SJBL doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.