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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Estancia Coach Guides North's Softball All-Stars

By Harold Smith
Mountain View Telegraph
      From the agony of defeat to the thrill of victory in the span of one month.
    The Estancia High softball team, disappointed with its failure to qualify for the Class 1A-2A state tournament this past spring, was well-represented at the inaugural 1A-2A-3A all-stars series, played June 13-14 at Cobre High in Bayard.
    Lady Bears assistant coach Stella Dominguez was chosen as the North's all-stars coach. Estancia's Jamie Montoya and Chelsea Riley, who recently graduated, played for the North.
    “Both Jamie and Chelsea were on the (EHS) team as eighth-graders,” Dominguez said. “As freshmen, they started. They started in the outfield and progressed to the infield. They improved a whole lot. This year, they really led the team.”
    The North won, beating the South 9-3 and 14-3 in the first two games while the South came out on top 7-1 in the third contest. Bears head coach Michael Dominguez, Stella's husband, acted as her assistant during the all-stars game.
    “It was great; it was a wonderful opportunity,” said Stella Dominguez, who noted that the all-stars series heretofore was an all-classes affair. “Michael and I had a great time.”
    Montoya kept her head high after Estancia was booted from postseason contention, but red eyes betrayed her disappointment. Her all-star participation lifted her spirits.
    “It was awesome,” said the 5-foot-7 third baseman. “It was a cool experience. It was fun to play with different girls. Some of them we'd never seen before.”
    However, she and Riley had seen McCurdy pitcher Erica Romero before. But this time, the Bobcat from Española was a teammate.
    “It was fun,” Montoya said. “She was actually very nice. Really, everything about (the series) was nice. But it was so hot. We played in 105-degree heat.”
    Montoya has tried out for the Luna Community College softball team.
    “It should be real soon that they let me know,” Montoya said. “But I'm going to attend school somewhere (softball or not). I might go to Eastern (New Mexico University) or UNM. I'm kind of leaning toward teaching younger kids, something like elementary education.”
    Dominguez said East Mountain High, the state 1A-2A fourth-place team, did not nominate any seniors for all-stars consideration. Moriarty, in 4A, did not receive any all-star nods.
    The South defeated the North two games to 1 in the Class 4A-5A all-star series in Clovis on June 13-14. Manzano's Amity Livingston was 4-for-4 with three RBI in the third game, a 10-5 North victory.
    Monarch Brenda Hearn, a recent graduate, said she's feeling better, what with the onset of warmer weather. Hearn continues to battle scleroderma, a symptom of which is the tightening of the skin.
    Hearn, a resident of the Sedillo Hill area, even decided to play club ball this summer. Her New Mexico Blazer team will travel to Denver next week for a tournament, she said Tuesday.
    All-State
    Estancia, which advanced to the Class 2A state semifinals this season after earning back-to-back titles in 2006 and '07, was awarded a slew of all-state positions this year. The Bears' awardees — all first team, no second team or honorable mention lists were compiled — included:
    n Clayton Gardner, the 2008 player of the year: senior outfielder and pitcher
    n Isaiah Ortiz, senior pitcher and shortstop
    n Stefan Newsom, junior outfielder and designated hitter
    n Robert Chavez, senior third baseman
    n Steven Gregory, senior first baseman
    n Noah Sedillo, sophomore second baseman
    n Lawrence Chavez, freshman shortstop
    n Destry Oberg, freshman catcher
    Moriarty High's Class 4A baseball all-state first-team picks included:
    n Ben Gonzales, senior pitcher and outfielder
    n Nick Chavez, senior second baseman
    n J Stablein, senior pitcher
    n Jason Watrin, senior catcher
    n Nick Gonzales, sophomore second baseman
    Del Norte's Wade Hinkle and Albuquerque Academy's Max Walla, Moriarty's District 5-4A mates, were the co-players of the year.
    Manzano High's Class 5A baseball all-state selections included senior Russell Hartshorn, second-team first baseman; and senior Nick Nelsen, honorable-mention outfielder. Las Cruces Oñate's Ariel Perez was the player of the year.
    Moriarty's Sonya Chavez (first base) and Jennifer Inocencio (outfield) were named to the Class 4A softball all-state second team.
   

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