Top-ranked Alamogordo downs Lady Tigers, 9-0

Same story, different game.

The Los Lunas High School softball team was once again its own worst enemy on Tuesday, giving up five unearned runs in the fourth inning to take itself out of a District 3-5A game against Alamogordo.

“That’s what it usually is for us — one inning. We beat ourselves,” said Ashley Herrera, who was victimized as the losing pitcher. “We’re out here trying our hardest – I know we are. It’s just little mistakes.”

Those little mistakes added up to six errors and a 9-0 loss for the host Tigers of Los Lunas.

“It was a lot closer than the score indicated,” said Los Lunas head coach Glenn Trujillo. “I thought we had a good showing, except for that one inning.”

True. After all, they were playing the top-ranked team in the state. Alamogordo improved to 15-1 overall, 6-0 in district play, and extended its win streak to 15 games.

Los Lunas fell to 1-5, 5-11.

“We have to play our best game and hope that they have an off day in order for us to have a chance to win,” Trujillo said.

For a while, Los Lunas had a chance. Alamo manufactured a run in the first inning and benefited from a Los Lunas error in the second to take a 2-0 lead.

Herrera kept Alamo in check until the fateful fourth inning. Callie Hooper led off the inning with a single. But back-to-back errors by Los Lunas ignited Alamo and rattled Herrera. She retired the next batter but gave up three more hits in the inning.

“I just felt I had to get back in my rhythm, and I felt I did that,” Herrera said. “But that killed me – getting out of the rhythm.”

Alamo led 7-0 and Los Lunas was having trouble figuring out pitcher Michelle Sayen, who have up four hits and struck out nine through five innings. Los Lunas mounted threats against reliever Tiffany Garafano but couldn’t push a runner across the plate, leaving two runners on base in each of the last two innings.

Alamo added two more runs in the final inning to end the scoring.

Alamo only out-hit Los Lunas 8-7. Brandi Giron led Los Lunas, going 3 for 3 at the plate. Stephanie McIntosh was 1 for 2 and Andrea Tenorio was 1 for 1.

Though it was a loss, Los Lunas scored a moral victory.