22 hits, 22 runs for Academy in district-opening win
· Yahoo Sports
In the end, the volume of Albuquerque Academy’s crooked numbers bested Hope Christian’s crooked numbers.
The Chargers and Huskies had a wild Friday afternoon and early evening at the Academy, with the teams combining for 29 hits — and a dozen errors — in the seventh-ranked Chargers’ eventual 20-10 District 6-4A victory over No. 6 Hope Christian.
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Nearly half of the 30 runs (14 of them) were unearned.
Academy scored 19 of its 20 runs in four innings, including seven in the third and six more in the sixth to enact the 10-run mercy rule. The game ended with sophomore shortstop Daniel Candelas, who had a huge day at the plate, scoring on a wild pitch.
It was one of those type of days.
Although Academy (10-5, 1-0 in 6-4A) was guilty of seven errors — most of them coming in a disastrous top of the fifth — the Chargers’ offense more than made up for the defensive shortcomings.
Not only did all of the Academy starters hit safely, remarkably eight of the nine starters had multiple-hit games. The relentless Chargers pounded out 22 hits against three Hope Christian pitchers.
“We’ve swung the bats pretty well all year,” Academy coach Chris Alexander said. “That was a good day for us.”
The aforementioned Candelas, in the 9-hole, had four hits and four RBIs for Academy. Right in front of him, No. 8-hole hitter, freshman Parker Hanson, added three hits and three RBIs.
Four Academy starters, including also junior outfielder Aiden Schum and sophomore third baseman Jace Gabaldon, had at least three hits on Friday.
“Our whole team can hit,” Alexander said. “This year, top to bottom, we’re pretty strong.”
The teams traded three-run spots early, Academy in the first, the Huskies (12-5, 1-1) in the top of the second.
Academy put up seven in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a two-run single to right by Schum, and the lead swelled to 10-3.
Schum added another RBI as the Chargers scored three more in the fourth, and were leading 13-3 and three outs from closing out the game.
But the Huskies scored six runs (on just a single hit) in the fifth, not only avoiding being 10-runned, but getting themselves back into the game as the Academy defense went sideways.
It was 14-10 going to the bottom of the sixth, when the Chargers scored six — Hanson delivered a two-run double to left and Candelas followed right after Hanson with a two-RBI single to center — for an insurmountable 19-10 lead.
For Academy, Ryan Williams pitched 3⅔ innings of relief in the middle of the game. He gave up six runs in the top of the fifth, but none of them were earned.
Ironically, Williams, the clean-up batter for the Chargers, was the only starter to register just a single hit.
Academy, Alexander said, ought to benefit in April from the demanding schedule it set up for itself in the first half of the season, which includes matchups with ranked 5A teams like Rio Rancho, Eldorado and Los Lunas.
“Sometimes,” Alexander said, “we take our lumps, but I think it pays off big time.”
James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at [email protected] or via X at @JamesDYodice.