By Dave Wagner
ALBUQUERQUE — Clovis junior Jason Seefeld rebounded from a rare bad outing on the mound Saturday in a big way, hitting a pair of early home runs and then picking up a win with three hitless innings in relief as the Wildcats beat Eldorado 8-4 to complete a sweep of their District 4-5A doubleheader.
Clovis won Saturday’s opener 8-5 after losing Friday’s single contest 11-5.
The wins put the Cats (14-9, 6-3 district) into a tie for first place with idle Carlsbad (15-7, 6-3), while dropping the Eagles (12-12, 7-5) into third place.
The Cats finish the regular season next week at home against Hobbs (11-12, 3-6), needing one win to clinch at least the second playoff berth from the district. Carlsbad finishes at Manzano (6-17, 2-7), they will win the district title.
“Our kids showed the most heart I’ve ever seen,” CHS coach Shane Shallenberger said. “They rebounded from that tough loss and played hard today.”
In a late-game Eldorado eruption on Friday, Seefeld gave up six hits, six runs, three home runs .
Clovis turned the tables on Eldorado on Saturday, putting together both of its winning rallies in the sixth inning.
With the score tied 5-5 in the opener, the Cats pushed three runs across the plate and senior Darren Davis gained the win with 3 1/3 innings in relief of starter Richard Riggins. Davis was knocked out early in Edlorado’s six-run sixth inning Friday after five innings of three-hit shutout ball on Friday.
With Ryan Denton on first with a single and one out, singles by Sean Cruce and Mark Replogle put the Cats in front. Cruce then scored on a balk, and Matt Cordova drove in Replogle with a double.
Davis allowed three hits and one run, striking out three. Replogle went 2 for 3 with a double to lead CHS’ eight-hit attack.
In the second game, Seefeld hit a two-run homer in the first and a solo homer in the third, but the Eagles moved in front 4-3 after four with the help of a pair of solo homers. But the Cats scored five in the sixth, tying the score on Brett Thornsbury’s single, a sacrifice and a two-base error on a ball hit by Cruce.
Cordova singled in the go-ahead run, and another run scored on an error. The final two runs came home on another Eldorado miscue.
Seefeld, the third Clovis pitcher, walked two and struck out three in picking up the win. Seefeld, Cordova, Young and Thornsbury all had two of Clovis’ nine hits against Eagles pitcher Aaron Bacoccini.
“(Seefeld) faced those same kids (who homered against him Friday), and he struck two of them out today,” Shallenberger said.
He added that the Cats aren’t counting on help from Manzano against Carlsbad. He said he wants to see his team take care of its business and let the chips fall where they may.
“We want to finish (the regular season) on a good note,” Shallenberger said. “Whatever happens with Carlsbad, happens.”
Shallenberger gave most of the credit for Friday’s late to Eldorado.
“I’ve never seen anything like that, ever,” he said. “Everything they hit, they just hit. It was great hitting on their part.”
Bacoccini, Dean Stucker and Tyler Elwell all homered in the inning for the Eagles.
Cordova, Seefeld, Drew Hatley and Denton all went 2 for 4 for the Cats, who had 11 hits. Cordova, Seefeld and Denton each drove in a run.
