Portales softball sweeps Jal

Portales pitchers held Jal to four hits on the night, and the Lady Rams took a pair of 10-0 wins over the visiting to push their winning streak to six games Tuesday night.

Portales (7-1) got a 10-strikeout performance from Amanda Marquez in the opener, and pitchers Kelsey Laurenz and LeAnne Blaeser combined on a one-hitter in the second game. Both games ended in the sixth via the run rule.

“We were able to work on some things,” Portales coach Robbie Crowley said. “It doesn’t matter who you play, you’re still working on not having errors, making the right plays and the right decisions.”

Despite the early success, Crowley thinks there’s room for improvement before opening District 4-3A play at Dexter April 16.

“I feel like we’re behind because we haven’t played as many games as we have (normally at this point of the season),” Crowley said. “But I think we’re where we need to be so we don’t peak too early.”

The Lady Rams have five more games before district play, but four of them are Saturday. Portales hosts Goddard in a 9 a.m. doubleheader, then makes up a snowed-out doubleheader against West Las Vegas at 1 p.m.

Crowley said it wasn’t an ideal scheduling, but, “It’s the only time either of us could even try to squeeze them in.”