Enchantment wins one for Zeke

The Enchantment Little League major division all-star team won one for Zeke Thursday night.

Playing their second game of the District 5 Little League All-Star Tournament just four days after the unexpected death of their head coach, Zeke Sedillo (see story at left), the girls from Los Lunas defeated South Valley, 14-2, to advance to the division championship.

Fittingly, Sedillo’s daughter Amy led off for Enchantment in the first inning with a single that ignited a four-run rally. Her father would have been proud. Amy collected two more hits and drove in a run in the route.

Enchantment extended its lead to 8-0 when Heather Kline socked a grand slam home run in the second inning.

Adri Gabaldon protected the lead by pitching a complete game to earn the victory.

Enchantment advanced to play either South Valley or Westgate at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Zia Little League fields in Albuquerque. If Enchantment wins, it will advance to the state tournament. If it losses, Enchantment will play again at 5:30 p.m. on Monday against the same team. The winner of that game will earn a state berth.

Amy Sedillo wasn’t the only Sedillo daughter who had to play through tears this week. Just two days after her father’s death, Amy’s sister Amanda took her usual spot at second base for the senior all-star team.

Though it hardly seemed worth celebrating, Enchantment beat South Valley, 7-2. The senior team will play either Thunderbird or Mile High in a semi-final game at 6 p.m. Monday at Albuquerque’s Manzano High School.

Enchantment’s 9-10 all-stars, coached by Zeke’s wife, Trish, was scheduled to play Mile High late Friday night.

Baseball — Valencia County’s three entries in the baseball major division are off to a great start. Belen, Enchantment and Yucca each won their first two games in the tourney.

On Monday, Enchantment beat East Mountain, 11-0, for its second win. In their first two games, Enchantment’s majors out-scored their opponents 28-0.

Belen edged South Valley, 4-3, on Wednesday. Later that night, Yucca downed Zia, 6-3.

Belen and Yucca were scheduled to meet late Friday at the Zia fields. Enchantment was slated to play Mile High. No scores were available at News-Bulletin press time.

In other baseball action, Belen and Yucca met Thursday in a second-round game of the 11-year-old division. Yucca prevailed, 8-1, and advanced to play South Valley at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Belen was sent to the consolation bracket, where it was to meet Enchantment in the late game Friday night.

In the junior division, Belen and Enchantment were eliminated from the tournament on Thursday after each suffered its second loss in the double-elimination tournament. Lobo beat Enchantment, 5-1, and Belen bowed to Atrisco, 11-3.

Yucca’s junior division team won its first game of the tournament, shutting out Mile High, 10-0, on Tuesday. The boys from Bosque Farms were to play Mile High late Friday.

Facing elimination, Belen’s senior division team came from behind to beat Mile High, 5-5 in nine innings, on Tuesday at Albuquerque’s Jackson Middle School.

Belen trailed, 3-2, but battled back to force extra innings. In the ninth, with one out, Belen’s Angelo Jojola singled between the first and second basemen to start the game-winning rally. One out later, with Andrew Gomez at bat, Jojola took off to steal second base. The throw from Mile High’s catcher sailed into center field, and the speedy Jojola was able to race around third and across home plate with the winning run.

Belen has its back against the wall again when it meets Socorro at noon on Saturday. “We have a good chance to move on,” said the team’s head coach, Henry Gabaldon. “We’re taking it seriously.”

In 9-10 division bracket 1 at Mile High, Enchantment’s 9-10 division team suffered its first loss on Thursday, falling to Atrisco, 8-5.

Belen 1 bounced back from a first-round loss to beat Zia, 5-4, on Tuesday. Belen 1 plays Westgate at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Zia.

In bracket 2 of the 9-10 division being played at Belen’s Vivian Field, Yucca won for the second time in as many games, beating Mile High 2 convincingly, 13-3. Yucca was to play South Valley in a semi-final game Friday.

After winning its opener, Enchantment 2 lost, 5-4, to South Valley on Wednesday. Host Belen was eliminated on Tuesday after a 12-2 loss to Atrisco.

Coaches and parents are encouraged to report results of the District 5 Little League All-Star Tournament by e-mailing details of games to News-Bulletin Sports Editor T.S. Last at: [email protected]