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Tigers post upset, fall in state prep baseball semifinals
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ALBUQUERQUE — Los Lunas went as far as the semifinals of the 5A State Baseball Championship, a run that included a stunning win last Thursday in the quarterfinals over top seeded and defending state champion La Cueva.
It was the most notable victory for the Tigers in recent memory, and perhaps the biggest baseball upset of the year in New Mexico.
What made the triumph even more impressive was that LLHS clawed out of a 6-0 first inning hole against the Bears on their way to a 9-6 win at the Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Complex.
“We had to learn the umpire’s (strike) zone,” said Paul Cieremans, LLHS coach. “For some reason we couldn’t find it.”
After the rough start on the mound, Matthew Castillo settled down, shutting the door on La Cueva with the help of reliever Kaiden Reese.
“Keep pushing. It’s going to happen,” was the attitude of the players, according to Cieremans. “The kids never quit. The grit they showed was awesome.”
LLHS scored three runs in the third to cut the lead in half and two in the fifth to make it a one run game. With the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, the Bears committed two errors on one play after a hard smash by Jonah Utash.
All three runs scored, pulling LLHS in front 8-6. A suicide squeeze bunt brought Utash home with the final run.
Reese escaped a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the inning, and the Tigers survived 9-6.
“In my five years (as head coach), this is the biggest win for our program,” said Cieremans.
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On Friday, Los Lunas faced No. 5 Eldorado for a spot in the title game, but Los Lunas found itself with a large, first-inning deficit again. The Tigers eventually dropped a 12-7 decision.
After falling behind 4-0, LLHS pulled to within 4-3 after two innings. Even though the gap was extended when the Eagles scored five times in the third inning, Los Lunas kept pecking away until the final out.
The Tigers ended the season with a 19-11 record.
“A great year,” is how Cieremans described the season. “We had great team chemistry and camaraderie. The boys were resilient.”
