Clovis splits with Plainview

The Clovis Wildcat baseball team stayed above .500 for its summer season, managing a split against Plainview in a doubleheader shortened by lightning.

The first game, a 13-4 win for Plainview, featured a one-hour lightning delay, Clovis assistant Shane Leatherwood said.

The first game went five innings, while the second, a 7-3 Clovis win, went six.

Aside from a nine-run first for Plainview, Leatherwood felt the team played well.

“We just wanted to keep everything on schedule so they could get back early,” Leatherwood said, noting the game ended after 10 p.m. Mountain time.

Brandon Gilliard got hit for all nine first-inning runs in the opener, but only two of the runs were earned in the three-hit inning.

“Brandon had a sore arm,” Leatherwood said. “He didn’t have his good stuff. He had a chance to get out of the first inning with just two runs, but we made four errors too so I can’t blame pitching.”

Lane Drake allowed four runs in relief, and Steven Encinias struck out nine in his four innings of work during the nightcap.

Omar Sosa went 4-for-7 with three runs scored in the twin bill, and Parker Wood was 3-for-5 wih a pair of RBIs. Emery Sierra was 4-for-6 with a double and two RBIs.

Clovis finishes up its season Saturday with a doubleheader against Hobbs. So far, Leatherwood said, the kids have played well considering they’re still waiting for a replacement for head coach Shane Shallenberger, who accepted a job at Rio Rancho Cleveland High School.

“It’s been hard for the kids because they’ve been playing for pride once in a while, and they’re not sure who their coach is going to be,” Leatherwood said. “The bright spot is the younger kids have really produced, and we’ve got a couple leaders that have carried those kids through.”