RIO GRANDE COUNTY – Belting home runs in each of his first three at-bats Saturday definitely had Ignacio sophomore Jacob Gallegos floating on Cloud Nine on a nearly cloudless morning in the San Luis Valley.
But when pitcher Eppie Quintana’s no-hit bid against Sargent was in jeopardy, Gallegos couldn’t descend fast enough.
Especially after his own reliable glove had cost the junior righty a probable perfect game.
Having bobbled 8-hole Tyler Chapman’s third-inning roller up the first-base line enough to allow the hustling Chapman to reach via error, Gallegos – who started at first, rather than shortstop, to more or less rest a hurting arm – made amends in the Farmers’ fourth with IHS already up 16-0 and on the verge of a mercy-rule victory.
Trenton Paskett, second in SHS’ batting order, struck out. Gallegos then leaped as high as he could to spear third baseman Wade Dunbar-Burger’s cross-diamond throw and retire, with a toe-tap of the bag, Wyatt Cross by a quarter step.
“I couldn’t get down quick enough!” a grinning Gallegos said afterward.
Barely a minute later, Eppie Quintana closed out the contest freezing cleanup hitter Trenton Lovelace with a called third strike on just his 50th pitch to earn a no-hitter. Issuing no walks nor plunking a single batter, Quintana (W, CG; 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R) struck out eight in out-dueling opposite number Burke Temple (L, CG; 4 IP, 10 H, 16 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 3 HB, 3 K).
Gallegos finished 3-for-3 with four runs scored and four batted in. His first dinger came after Devante Montoya reached second on an error, and helped the Bobcats build up a fast 5-0 advantage. Tater No. 2, a solo shot, came after Montoya popped up to Temple, and Gallegos’ third smash, coming with Ignacio leading 7-0, sparked the guests’ clinching nine-run fourth.
Hitting eighth for head coach Duke Baker, junior left fielder Dylan McCaw went 2-3 with a run and four RBIs. Eppie Quintana went 2-4 with two runs and one RBI. Phillip Quintana was 1-3 with a double and a run, and Marcus Maez was 1-2 with a run and two RBIs – one via a perfect third-inning sacrifice bunt that scored Dunbar-Burger.
“We’re talented,” Baker said, “and it’s starting to come together; these last two weeks have been amazing to watch.”
Chapman finished 0-1 and Ellithorpe, the only Farmer lucky to lift a ball into IHS’ outfield, went 0-2.
Tied 2-2 with Sargent through four frames in Game 2 after finally erasing SHS’ unexpected first-inning, two-run advantage, Ignacio blew up for a decisive dozen runs in the top of the fifth. And after SHS failed to respond in the home half, the ’Cats had booked themselves a fifth consecutive conquest in improving to 10-7 overall.
McCaw was 2-3 with a walks, run and four RBI. Gallegos walked twice, but hit another homer and scored three runs in support of starter Phillip Quintana (ND; IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K) and reliever Eppie Quintana. Available for duty because of his low Game 1 pitch count, Eppie slung 51 more deliveries in four frames to earn the Game 2 win, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out seven.
Eppie Quintana also raked three doubles and finished 3-3 with a walk, three runs scored and four RBIs. Phillip Quintana went 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Rylan Maez, tagged by two pitches, went 0-2 and scored twice. Elliott Hendren – playing center field with Montoya moved to short and Rylan Maez to right in order to shift Gallegos – went 1-4 with a run and one RBI, but struck out twice and left five ’Cats on base.
Ignacio will next host Center (1-15) for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday.
