Rio Rancho center fielder Destiny Gonzales was out at the plate in the first inning Wednesday afternoon, when the Rams tied the game with Rio Grande at 4. RRHS went on to win the game in four innings, 20-5. (Herron photo)

 

 

The City of Vision’s varsity softball teams got off to good starts with first-round wins Wednesday in the annual APS Metro Championships, with the Cleveland Storm entering it as the No. 2 seed and the Rams two notches behind at No. 4.

Here’s how things went on that cold, windy and rainy afternoon… 

Rams 20, Rio Grande 5: After spotting the visiting Ravens a 4-0 lead before coming to bat, thanks to three errors, the Rams tied the game in the bottom of the first at Paul Kohman Field.

After that four-run outburst, highlighted by pitcher Ellie Kissinger’s RBI triple and RBI singles that followed by Morgan Pollman, Mia Martinez and Araina Hernandez, the Rams left no doubt as to who’d win the game in the second inning.

That’s when they sent 13 batters to the plate and the first nine crossed the plate, with Martinez again playing a role, blasting a two-run homer.

After the Ravens managed an unearned run in the second, their scoring was done.

Not so for the Rams, who scored five times in the third – Martinez tripling home one of them, Hernandez doubling home another – two runs in the bottom of the fourth meant the 15-run mercy rule came into effect.

Delysia Valdez came in as a pinch-hitter and led off with an inside-the-park homer. One out later, pinch-hitter Jayden Throgmorton walked, stole second and soon scored on another Ravens’ error.

Middle infielders Martinez and Hernandez each went 3 for 3, with Martinez driving in four runs and Hernandez sending three home.

Every Rams starter crossed the plate at least once in the lopsided affair, with only leadoff batter Alivia Henderson going hitless.

Storm 12, Valley 2: Ryen Herman drove in three runs, Mercedes Lovato was 4-for-4, and Avi Fierro struck out nine for the Storm, who whipped visiting Valley in a mercy-rule shortened contest.

Both teams play again at 3:30 this afternoon: Cibola vists the Rams, while Albuquerque High heads to the Shockyards.