Cavemen sweep Wildcats

Make errors, and you’re likely to pay. Make errors against the No. 3 team in the state, and it’s a certainty.

The visiting Carlsbad Cavemen proved just that, riding an early wave of Clovis errors for a four-run first en route to a 10-8 win to sweep Tuesday’s District 4-5A doubleheader at Bell Park.

Coming off a 4-2 win in the opener, the Cavemen (21-3, 6-0) scored half of their nightcap runs unearned, including four unearned on starter Tanner Massanari in a three-error first.

Clovis coach Greg Hill said Carlsbad is too good of a team to not capitalize when given extra outs.

“We started slow, finished slow and battled in the middle,” Hill said.“I don’t know if we showed a lot of discipline early on, and I’ve got to shoulder some of that.”

Carlsbad, which clinched the District 4-3A crown by winning the opener, takes a seven-game winning streak into Saturday’s doubleheader at Hobbs. Continuing that streak is important, Cavemen coach Kenny Groves said.

“We have a lot of goals each season; winning district is one of them,” Groves said. “We clinched the district after the first game, but we need wins. The (seeding committee) doesn’t give a lot of attention to the south side of the state, so winning games (overall) matters.”

The Wildcats had hoped to get at least a split and hope Carlsbad swept Hobbs to gain some advantage in the postseason seeding. Groves figures Clovis is either a No. 10 or No. 11 seed and is very capable of pulling off a first-round upset.

Cavemen starter Matt Chavarria added to his own cause in the second, with a 400-foot solo shot to left center.

Trailing 9-5 entering the sixth, Clovis gave itself a chance for a comeback with three runs, including an RBI double by Massanari and a run-scoring flyout by relief pitcher Jake Burrell. But Carlsbad reliever Brandon Mendoza retired the Wildcats in order in the seventh.

Clovis is back in action Friday with a 4 p.m. home doubleheader against Texico.