Hilltoppers Stun Pintos with Big First, Fourth Innings

LOS ALAMOS — A disastrous opening frame and a late-inning collapse proved to be the undoing for the Moriarty Pintos on Wednesday, as they suffered a 19-4 District 2-4A road loss to the Los Alamos Hilltoppers.

The Hilltoppers (7-9, 4-0) remained perfect in district play by keeping the Pintos (8-8, 4-1) on their heels from the very first pitch. Los Alamos erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the first inning, forcing Moriarty to play from behind for the duration of the contest.

Pintos Fight Back

Despite the early 7-0 hole, Moriarty starter Micah Kamplain settled in to toss two scoreless frames in the second and third. This allowed the Pintos’ offense to chip away at the lead.

In the top of the third, Moriarty pushed across two runs. They added another pair in the top of the fourth, fueled by doubles from Cash Klein and Tyler Denomme. The rally cut the Los Alamos lead to 8-4 and provided a glimmer of hope for a comeback.

Senior Raiden Scribner was a force at the plate, finishing the day a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI. Denomme also reached base in every plate appearance, finishing 1-for-1 with a double, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch.

The Fourth Inning Avalanche

The momentum shifted violently back to the Hilltoppers in the bottom of the fourth. The Los Alamos lineup feasted on the Moriarty bullpen, scoring 11 runs on nine hits and five walks in the frame alone. Rylan Thackerson and Oscar Shuck both struggled in relief as the Hilltoppers batted around to push the score to 19-4, ending the game via the mercy rule.

Statistical Breakdown

The Pintos managed eight hits on the day but were undone by free bases. Moriarty pitchers combined to surrender nine walks and three hit batters, while the defense committed three errors.

Moriarty Top Performers:

• Raiden Scribner: 3-3, 1 R, 1 RBI
• Cash Klein: 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI
• Tyler Denomme: 1-1, 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HBP

Pitching Summary:

• Micah Kamplain (L): 3.0 IP, 7 H, 10 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, 98 Pitches
• Rylan Thackerson: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 34 Pitches
• Oscar Shuck: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 28 Pitches