State softball: Schutz delivers three-hitter for Lady Horsemen

The New Mexican |

5/16/2008 - 5/17/08

What Emily Schutz wants, she gets.

At least when it comes to the softball diamond.

The St. Michael's junior asked for the ball in her team's losers' bracket matchup with Cobre in the Class AAA State Tournament on Friday night.

This even after throwing 104 pitches in an 11-10 loss to Santa Fe Indian School in the winners' bracket quarterfinals.

Schutz proceeded to fire a three-hitter and help the Lady Horsemen advance with a 4-3 win. St. Michael's (20-9) plays No. 4 Portales in a losers' bracket game today at 10 a.m.

The Lady Horsemen, who beat Socorro 14-4 in their first game on the losers' side, scored all of their runs in the fourth inning. First baseman Samantha McFall broke a 2-all tie with a two-run single. It was one of five hits St. Michael's collected on the evening.

Cobre crept to within 4-3 with a run in the fifth, but were held scoreless over the last two innings by Schutz, who finished with eight strikeouts.

To win the state championship, St. Michael's head coach Ron Noedel said his team will have to win five straight games without a break.

Schutz likely will ask for the ball in a majority of them.

"We're down to six teams now," Noedel said. "If Em is ready to go, we'll probably go with her. You have to take everything one game at a time right now."

Schutz wasn't as lucky in the morning game, as the No. 3 Lady Braves rallied from a 7-2 deficit in the seventh inning with five runs against her — including a grand slam by Kanora Martinez — and then overcame a 10-7 Lady Horsemen lead the next inning.

SFIS played second seed Albuquerque Hope Christian in a winners' bracket semifinal late Friday night, but the score was not available at press time. The Lady Braves will play at 10 a.m. today, either against top seed Bloomfield in the winners' bracket final or against No. 12 Raton in the losers' bracket.


CLASS AAA TOURNAMENT

No. 7 Lovington 3, No. 10 Pojoaque Valley 2

It was a dead heat after one inning and it stayed that way until the final frame at the New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs in a best-of-three first round series.

The Elks were tied 2-2 with Lovington and riding a strong pitching performance from starter Daniel War until one out was logged in the bottom of the seventh. There was a runner at second when the Wildcats got a single up the middle to end the game.

War (6-4) got the loss, giving up three runs — two earned —and three walks while striking out six.

"It was kind of two teams that were a mirror image of each other," Pojoaque head coach Jacinto Garduño said. "It was real clean game. We wanted to put the pressure on them, but now the pressure is on us."

Jonathan Jiron and Aaron Mondragon had RBIs for the Elks (11-14-1). Matt Longacre was 2-for-3. Juan Trevizo was 2-for-4.

The two teams will play a doubleheader, if necessary, today, beginning at 11 a.m.

"We'll be ready," Garduño said.