Hilltoppers rout Moriarty 19-4 with explosive offensive outburst

Seven runs in the first inning were only the opening act. Los Alamos High School’s varsity baseball team turned Bomber Field in White Rock into a showcase of speed, patience and pressure Wednesday, rolling past Moriarty 19-4 and moving into first place in 4A District 2.

The Hilltoppers were already in control after scoring seven times in the bottom of the first, but the decisive blow came after Moriarty briefly trimmed the margin to 8-4. Los Alamos answered with 11 runs in the fourth inning, an outburst built on nine hits and five walks that ended the game by mercy rule and left no doubt about which lineup had the upper hand.

Hayden Watkins set the tone at the top of the order, going 4-for-4 with three runs, four RBI and a stolen base. Josh Gartz added a 3-for-4 night with three runs, three RBI and a stolen base, while Raiden Scribner finished 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Cash Klein also delivered, going 2-for-3 with two runs, a double and an RBI. The production spread through the lineup, a sign that Los Alamos was not relying on one hot bat to carry the night.

The inning-by-inning surge showed a team that kept forcing Moriarty into difficult counts and uncomfortable decisions. Moriarty starter Micah Kamplain worked three innings, and the Pintos managed to quiet Los Alamos in the second and third before the Hilltoppers reset the game with their fourth-inning explosion. Moriarty pitchers issued nine walks and hit three batters, and the defense committed three errors, a combination that kept extending innings and magnifying the damage.

Photos from the game captured the same pressure points that shaped the result. Hayden Watkins was shown stealing second base. Jackson Scharff delivered a strike in the first inning. Terran Robertson nearly beat a tag at home. Josh Gartz made a clean throw from second, and Ben Dattlebaum came through in a pickoff attempt at first. The details matched the scoreboard: Los Alamos was faster, cleaner and more decisive in the critical moments.

The win improved the Hilltoppers to 7-9 overall and 4-0 in district play, while Moriarty fell to 8-8 and 4-1. MaxPreps lists Los Alamos atop the district standings, and the result also carried some measure of payback after Los Alamos beat Moriarty 16-1 in April 2025. With practice having started Feb. 2 under the New Mexico Activities Association calendar and state championships set for May 6, 8-9 and 14-16, every district win now matters. This one looked less like a fluke than a team finding its timing at exactly the right stretch of the season.