A measure of revenge in sports is always sweet, and Socorro spiced it up with an 11-10 District 3-3A baseball win against Hot Springs on April 17 to make it all the more special.

The contest marked the end of a three-game series for the two teams that started in T or C on April 13. The Tigers handed the Warriors a pair of losses, 12-3 and 13-12. The second loss was tough because the Warriors led 12-9 late and gave up the winning run on the game’s final play.

It was just as dramatic on Saturday, with the Warriors rallying from a 3-0 first-inning deficit to lead 7-3 at the bottom of the frame. Socorro established a 10-4 lead after three innings, but the Tigers slowly climbed out of the hole to tie the game at 10-10 in the top of the sixth.

It was a patient, Cenyon Scarbrough, who provided the winning run in the bottom of the sixth. He drew a walk, advanced to second on an error, made third via a balk, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Warriors an 11-10 lead and three outs away from winning their first league game in two seasons.

Left-hander David Gutierrez Jr. mowed down the next two Tiger batters, and then coach Lawrence Montano called for right-hander Joseph Rivera to close the game. It appeared to be an unusual move, but as Montano explained, it was one made with the idea that the Warriors were going to be depending on Gutierrez later in the week.

“We have to watch David’s pitch count because we need him against Cobre,” Montano said.

Rivera used seven pitches against the first batter he faced, and the final call went against him for a walk. Undaunted, the freshman needed just four pitches for a ground out against the next batter to seal the win.

The victory took Socorro fans on a whirlwind as the Warriors turned grim faces into smiles in the bottom of the first inning.

After trailing 3-0, there was some worry the game might get away from the Warriors, as Scarborough got off to a rocky start on the bump. The junior settled down and pitched four innings, only giving up three earned runs. Socorro’s defense committed four errors.

Gutierrez sat down seven batters during his relief effort and fired 32 of his 57 pitches for strikes.

The Warriors generated 11 hits as Issac Vega led the way with a 3-3 day at the plate that helped him score a pair of runs. Jacob Angel also had a multi-hit day with two pokes, and Alex Amaro, Gutierrez, Scarborough, Rylan Hicks, Sebastian Mercado and Rivera had one hit each.

Angel led all hitters with three RBIs, and Amaro, Gutierrez, Scarborough, Hicks and River had one.

Socorro has just three more home games on its schedule, including an April 27 doubleheader against Hatch Valley starting at 11 a.m. It will also be Senior Day for the 2024 graduates.

Russell Huffman, El Defensor Chieftain Asst. Editor