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By Karen Boehler
Pecos League writer
SANTA FE — After a long string of losses against southern division teams, Santa Fe finally got back on the winning side of the ledger Saturday, riding the pitching of Kevin Camacho to a 10-3 victory over the Pupfish.
“I think our guys played probably as well as we’re capable of,” said Santa Fe manager Bill Moore. “We pitched well. We played pretty solid defense. And swung the bat. Had some timely hits. I think we had several two-out RBIs. We preach a lot about when our team scores, we’ve got to throw a zero back at them, and when their team scores, we need to score back. And I think we did a pretty good job at that tonight.”
They did an excellent job, scoring in four innings where White Sands didn’t get anything across, and matching or beating the ‘Fish run totals in the two where White Sands did score.
And, they did it against Justin Kuks, who last time on the mound had a light-out performance to bring his record to 4-0. The Fuego handed him his first loss.
“He didn’t seem like himself today, that’s for sure,” said White Sands manager Ernie Munoz. “You’re not going to be perfect every day. They got the best of him. They beat him. You can’t expect to win them all.
Santa Fe also took advantage of four Pupfish errors, starting in the first when Josh Barnett reached on a mistake then came around on a passed ball and Devonte Odums single.
The Fuego made it 3-0 in the second on an Evan Mansell walk and William Smalls home run, then, after getting out of a bases-loaded situation in the top of the third unscathed, added another two runs in the fourth, this time on a Zimmerman single and Smalls homer.
White Sands finally scored in the fifth when Kuks singled then, with two out, Munoz singled and he and Kuks came home on a Cody Collins single.
But Santa Fe did that bottom-of-the-inning comeback, scoring three on singles by Barnett, Odums and Jimmy Maxwell; an error; and a 2 RBI single by Zimmerman.
After his two home runs, Smalls walked to open the sixth and scored on a bases-loaded walk.
The ‘Fish got their final run in the eighth on a Mark Leacox solo home run, but once again, the Fuego came back when Barnett singled, Odums doubled and Barnett scored on a put out.
Munoz said his entire team didn’t really look sharp Saturday.
“We just didn’t have hits when we had runners in scoring position,” he said. “Timely hits are what we were lacking. But we played good defense, for the most part. Our relievers came in and did well. We just started off the game a little rough. I think we came out just flat. We didn’t have batting practice today. We’re on the road. It’s been a long week.”
And that week continues Sunday and Monday as the teams wrap up the six-game series not at Alamogordo, as originally scheduled, but at Fort Marcy Park. Sunday’s game time is 4 p.m.
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