Lightning postpones Horsemen, Cards game to today

Both teams have postseason aspirations

Until Wednesday morning.

Drama and intrigue always drapes the Las Vegas Robertson-St. Michael’s rivalry, regardless of the sport. Tuesday was no different for the school’s baseball programs that are fighting for not just District 2-3A supremacy but a high seed for the postseason and — in the case of the Cardinals — the continuation of their season.

The two teams halted play with two outs in the bottom of the second inning at Christian Brothers Athletic Complex as a thunderstorm hit the northern part of Santa Fe. While fans and players experienced only a brief shower, lightning forced the stoppage as a series of bolts came as close as a half-mile of the baseball field.

After waiting more than an hour to resume play, the teams agreed to resume action at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Cardinals head coach Leroy Gonzalez said it was important that the game go at least the regulation seven innings, as opposed to reaching the fifth or sixth inning and having play halted because of darkness.

“It’s always a tight game, and we want to make sure we’re not forcing the game,” Gonzalez said. “I think it’s the right decision. We want to play this game all the way out.”

Robertson (9-6) led 1-0 after a Steven Lovato double in the top of the second scored Quick Cordova. However, the Horsemen (11-6) threatened to respond in the bottom of the frame before St. Michael’s athletic trainer Stephanie Oellien informed the umpiring crew of lightning strikes within a five-mile radius of the field.

When play resumes, Horsemen left fielder Owen Gruda will face a 1-and-2 count with starting pitcher Derek Martinez at third base. Augustin Ruiz, the head coach of St. Michael’s, said that at-bat could set the tone for the rest of the morning.

“I talked to these guys about coming in focused,” Ruiz said. “I think the majority of them were [Tuesday]. They wanted to play today, but something we’ve always told them is we control what we can control. We can’t control Mother Nature and the decisions made by it.”

The winner will hold the tie-breaking edge in the district as the two teams split a doubleheader in Las Vegas, N.M., on May 29. If St. Michael’s wins, it will wear the 2-3A crown and strengthens its case for a top-two seed for next week’s Class 3A State Tournament, thanks to a No. 3 ranking in the MaxPreps.com rankings.

Meanwhile, a Cardinals win puts them in position to secure the district title, provided it beats Raton in a doubleheader Friday. However, Gonzalez said if his team loses to the Horsemen, then get swept by the Tigers, the odds are 3A’s state champion from 2019 will be out of the postseason.

The coronavirus pandemic wiped out the 2020 season, leaving Robertson as the reigning state champion.

Gonzalez added that if the Cardinals finish in second place in the district, there is a chance they could be the first-round opponent for the Horsemen next week.

“It always seems to be us and St. Mike’s [facing each other in the state tournament],” Gonzalez said. “Two years ago, that should have been the state championship game [Robertson beat the Horsemen, 12-9, in the 3A semifinals in 2019]. That was a great game. We both battled.”

What else would anyone expect Wednesday but a taut, drama-filled affair?