Pinto’s First Inning Explosion Leads to 17-5 win

MORIARTY — A 10-run first-inning explosion powered the Moriarty Pintos to a 17-5 victory over the Gallup Bengals on Thursday, as the home team made a statement in their own invitational tournament.

The Pintos (4-5) utilized a relentless 12-hit attack to overwhelm Gallup early. Sophomore Cash Klein was perfect at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Junior Tyler Denomme provided the heavy lifting in the RBI department, going 2-for-3 with a double and three runs batted in.

Moriarty’s discipline at the plate was a theme throughout the five-inning contest. Sophomore Micah Kamplain doubled and drove in two runs, while junior Mario Romero added a hit and two RBIs. Senior Nick Kamplain helped his own cause on the mound by going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

On the hill, Nick Kamplain earned the win for the Pintos. He surrendered three hits and two earned runs over three innings, striking out three Bengals. Junior Wesley Francis provided two innings of relief, striking out two and allowing just one hit to seal the run-rule victory.

Gallup (3-10) managed to scratch across two runs in the first and three in the fourth, but three defensive errors hampered any chance of a comeback. The Bengals’ bats were held to just four hits on the afternoon.

Other Moriarty contributors included:

• Scott Batie (So.): 1-for-2, RBI, run scored.
• Royce Dennisson (Jr.): 1-for-1, double, run scored.
• Trey Denomme (So.): 1-for-3, two runs scored.
• Rylan. Thackerson (So.): Two runs scored.
• Oscar Shuck (Jr.): Two runs scored.

Moriarty is scheduled to continue its home tournament on Friday against Aztec, a 10-5 winner against Belen.