|
Elida needs extra innings for state quarterfinal win
Ryan Best belts home winning runs, Gilmore closes
ALBUQUERQUE — The fourth-seeded Elida Tigers blew a seventh inning 8-3 lead against fifth-seeded Questa in the 1A baseball quarterfinals Monday at the University of New Mexico, but recovered to win 10-8.
Junior Ryan Best brought in two runs in the top of the eighth inning to lead the Tigers to within two wins of a state championship.
The Tigers built the 8-3 lead, before Questa connected on a series of dinks and doinks through and over the Elida infield in the bottom of the seventh inning against Elida junior hurler Cade Cathey.
Cathey left the game in the seventh with the bases loaded, and all three runs scored, to force extra innings at 8-8.
“They just kept hitting the ball,” Elida head baseball coach Jimmy Ward said. “Not big hits, just putting it over the top of our infield.”
After a Dan Massey single and a Cathey walk, Best belted a two-run scoring single that turned out to be the game winner.
Senior pitcher Wesley Gilmore finished the seventh inning for the Tigers, before striking out the side in the bottom of the eighth to lock up the win for Elida.
Best was 2-for-3 from the plate, including the game-winning 2 RBIs.
The Tigers face the top-seeded Gateway Christian Warriors this afternoon in the Class 1A state semifinals at Lobo Field.
Ward expects to start Gilmore against Gateway.
“Wesley only threw about 30 pitches, so he should be ready to go,” Ward said. “That was just a good warm-up for him.”
The Warriors made a statement in their Monday quarterfinal win over 8th-seeded Grady, winning 33-0.
All games at UNM
Quarterfinals
Monday
Gateway Christian 33,
Grady 0
Mesilla Valley 23,
Cimarron 16
Valley Christian 11,
Gallup Catholic 1
Elida 10,
Questa 8; 8 inn.
Semifinals
Tuesday
Mesilla Valley
vs. Valley Christian 10 a.m.
Gateway Christian
vs. Elida 1 p.m.
