Thursday, March 28, 2024

Miyamura upsets No. 1-seed Alamogordo

Miyamura upsets No. 1-seed Alamogordo

Navajo Times | Adron Gardner
Miyamura Patriot Jason Cordova (1) dives back to first base before an Alamogordo Tiger tag at St. Pius X High School during the New Mexico high school baseball championship in Albuquerque May 11.  


ALBUQUERQUE

The Miyamura baseball team had to save their game face in a tight contest with the top-seeded Alamogordo Tigers on Thursday afternoon.

The Patriots came up with a pair of huge defensive plays in the bottom of the seventh to score a 2-1 upset in the quarterfinals of the New Mexico Class 5A state tournament at St. Pius High School.

“The kids showed a lot of character and a lot of heart,” Miyamura coach Brian Silva said. “They work very, very hard and they believed in each other.”

While holding on to to their one-run advantage, the Patriots had a few tough moments to cinch the win.

Alamogordo got their leadoff hitter, Jacob Gerber, on base thanks to a Miyamura error to start the bottom of the seventh. The Tigers then got an infield single from Isaiah Salazar as the designated hitter nailed a blooper in right field.

That infield single prompted Gerber to steal for an extra base but Miyamura rightfielder Lance Evans came up with a huge play as he made the throw to third for the first out.

With Miyamura pitcher Brandon Vidal working on the next batter, junior catcher Giovanni Chioda made the throw on time at second with Salazar trying to steal.
Miyamura got the win on the very next play with a pop out.

Navajo Times | Adron Gardner
Miyamura Patriot Jason Cordova (1) throws out an Alamogordo Tiger from shortstop at St. Pius X High School during the New Mexico high school baseball championship in Albuquerque May 11.  

“They didn’t make it easy but we’re enjoying every bit of this,” Silva said.

Miyamura got on board first when centerfielder Matt Chavez plated a run in the top of the second.

Behind three consecutive singles, the Patriots got an insurance run from Vidal as he scored on an RBI singe by Chioda.

“Those were huge,” Silva said. “Our bats went dead for us a little while but we came back.”

Alamogordo scored its lone run on a homer by first baseman Thompson Rick in the bottom of the sixth. Other than that hit, Silva said Vidal pitched at a high level.

“This is one of the better games that I have seen him pitch,” Silva said. “Brandon had some good velocity and he just stepped it up. He went way beyond what was asked of him.”

Vidal gave up five hits and struck out 10 batters. Silva said this was the last time the junior ace pitcher will be on the mound for the rest of the tournament as Vidal reached his pitching count.

“He did his job of getting us to the next round, now it’s someone else’s turn,” he said.

Miyamura finished with seven hits with Vidal and Chavez leading the way with two hits.

The Patriots will play the winner of Albuquerque Academy and Santa Teresa at the Santa Ana Star Field on the University of New Mexico campus at 7 p.m. today.

The championship game is set for Saturday at Isotopes Park at 3 p.m.

“I am just proud of my kids,” Silva said. “They came out and they fought and they knew what they wanted. They went out there and accomplished that.”

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About The Author

Quentin Jodie

Quentin Jodie is the Sports Editor for the Navajo Times. He started working for the Navajo Times in February 2010 and was promoted to the Sports Editor position at the end of summer in 2012. Previously, he wrote for the Gallup Independent. Reach him at qjodie@navajotimes.com

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