Pintos Split with Hilltoppers, Eye Top State Seed

MORIARTY — The Moriarty Pintos capped off the regular season Saturday with a display of offensive firepower, splitting a doubleheader against District 2-4A rival Los Alamos and bolstering their case for a top seed in the upcoming state championships.

After dropping the first contest 12-7, the Pintos (18-7, 10-2) bounced back with a convincing 15-4 victory in five innings. The win underscored the depth of a Moriarty lineup that has remained consistent throughout the spring.

Micah Kamplain provided the highlight of the afternoon, finishing 3-for-4 with five RBIs. His performance was punctuated by a home run that helped fuel a massive nine-run fourth inning, effectively ending any hopes of a Hilltopper sweep.

Raiden Scribner and Cash Klein were equally effective at the plate, both finishing with perfect 3-for-3 outings. Scribner hammered two doubles and drove in a run, while Klein added two doubles of his own and two RBIs.

The Pintos’ aggressive approach resulted in 15 hits and four extra-base knocks. Scott Batie contributed a triple and scored twice, while Oscar Shuck showed great situational awareness by crossing the plate four times despite not recording an official at-bat.

On the mound, Nick Kamplain earned the win, navigating 4.2 innings. He struck out three and remained efficient, throwing 83 pitches to keep the Hilltoppers from mounting a sustained rally. Cooper Schnerch entered in relief to record the final out, needing only one pitch to close the door.

The defensive effort was led by Tyler Denomme, Wesley Francis, and Trey Denomme, who anchored a clean fielding performance that saw Moriarty commit zero errors.

While Los Alamos claimed the district title by virtue of the split, Moriarty’s body of work—including a 10-game district win streak prior to Saturday—has them firmly in the conversation for a top-four seed and a first-round home series when the NMAA brackets are released Sunday.

The Pintos finish the regular season with one of the most productive offenses in Class 4A, led by a veteran core that includes Mario Romero, Landon Lents, and Royce Dennisson.

Game One

A late-inning surge by the Los Alamos Hilltoppers spoiled Moriarty’s hopes for a district title sweep on Saturday, as the Pintos dropped the opening game of their doubleheader 12-7.

The loss snapped a ten-game district winning streak for Moriarty (18-7, 10-2), who held a commanding 6-0 lead after two innings before the Hilltoppers began their comeback.

Micah Kamplain started on the mound for the Pintos, striking out seven over five innings of work. Offensively, Kamplain helped his own cause with a triple and two RBIs. Cash Klein also contributed a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

The Pintos jumped on Los Alamos early, scoring three runs in each of the first two frames. Raiden Scribner set the tone with a double, while Tyler Denomme and Trey Denomme each added doubles to keep the pressure on. Scott Batie also collected a hit and scored a run during the early outburst.

However, the Hilltopper offense found its rhythm in the third inning, putting up a five-spot to narrow the gap. Los Alamos eventually took the lead in the fifth and pulled away with a five-run seventh inning to secure the victory and the District 2-4A regular-season crown.

Moriarty struggled with defensive miscues late in the game, finishing with three errors that proved costly. Despite the setback, the Pintos remain a lock for a high seed in the Class 4A state tournament, with the official brackets set to be released Sunday.