Holbrook Roadrunners opened their baseball season last week with five games, including back-to-back double header contests on Friday and Saturday.
Players on this year’s team, which is under the direction of first-year head Coach Ryan Baldonado include seniors Marcus Oberriter, Tyler Brown, Isaac Martinez, Kyle Smith, Heston Reidhead, Izzy Ramos and Sam Paschal. Juniors on the squad are Conner Winn and Hunter Love. Ty Larson and Niko Espitia are the only two sophomores and are joined by freshmen Bryson Autobee and Matthias Montijio.
The team opened the season on Tuesday with an 11-1 win over visiting Northland Prep. Holbrook broke open a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third with eight runs. Following a lone Spartan run in the fifth, Holbrook added two more in the fifth, then ended the game under the 10-run rule with a single run in the sixth inning.
Oberriter went 1 for 3; Martinez, 2 for 4 with a triple; Reidhead, 1 for 4 with a triple; Ramos, 2 for 2 with a double; and Montijio went 2 for 3.
Ramos pitched 4.2 innings giving up just one run on three hits, with four strikeouts and walked three. Conner Winn worked 1.1 innings, with one strikeout and one walk.
Friday, Holbrook traveled to Chinle for a doubleheader. The Birds had things going well in the first game, leading 4-3 after four innings, but after scoring twice to start the fifth inning they gave up five runs to the Wildcats in the bottom of the fifth. Chinle added six more in the sixth and went on to win the game 14-6.
Oberriter went 1 for 3 with a double; Martinez was 2 for 4, with a double; Espitia went 1 for 3; Reidhead was 2 for 3, with a double; Ramos went 1 for 3, with a double; and Paschal was 1 for 3. Oberriter took the loss on the hill, allowing five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and walked six in 4.1 innings of work.
Holbrook bounced back in a big way, winning the second game 21-3 in five innings. Holbrook scored four in the first, added five in the second, then four in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings.
Oberriter went 3 for 5, with a triple; Martinez was 2 for 5, with a double; Winn went 3 for 4, with a triple; Smith was 4 for 5; Espitia went 1 for 4, with a double; Reidhead was 2 for 3; Love, 2 for 4; and Ramos went 4 for 4 with a home run.
Winn pitched all five innings giving up just three runs on four hits, with three strikeouts and a pair of walks.
Hosting Monument Valley in a doubleheader on Saturday, the Roadrunners cruised to lopsided wins in both games. They won the first game 16-1, following six runs in each of the second and third frames. Reidhead led at the plate going 3 for 3 with a double and a triple. Kyle Smith and Niko Espitia also hit doubles in the win.
Ramos earned the win on the hill, allowing just one run on only two hits with seven strikeouts and walked none.
The second game was over quickly with the Birds scoring six in the first inning. They added two in the second, five in the third and ended the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to get the 15-0 win.
Smith and Ramos each had triples. Oberriter and Love both hit doubles.
Espitia worked two innings with three strikeouts and no walks. Reidhead also pitched two innings with three strikeouts. Neither pitcher allowed a hit.
This week Holbrook will host Round Valley on Wednesday, then will co-host the Joseph City Tournament on Thursday through Saturday. Holbrook is slated to play Hopi in the first tournament game on Thursday. Following the tournament, the Roadrunners will have a week off for Spring Break before returning to the diamond on March 20 when they travel to St. Johns.
