Los Alamos baseball routs Taos 11-1, moves near district title

Los Alamos High School baseball did more than beat Taos on Monday afternoon. The Toppers turned a district matchup at Bomber Field on North Nesa into an 11-1, five-inning mercy-rule win and left themselves one victory away from the district title, with the deciding game set for Friday in Moriarty.

The offense supplied the early separation. Ben Dattlebaum homered in the second inning, Omar Bojorquez also went deep, and Los Alamos kept pressure on Taos from the start. Ending the game after five innings mattered as much as the margin, because it showed the Toppers could control a title race game without needing to drag it deep into the late innings.

The defense matched that pace. Boaz Martinez made a catch in center field for the third out in the second inning, Graeme Martinez slid safely into second base in the fourth, and Josh Gartz delivered a play that got the ball to Sony Abeyta at second base. Those sharp, clean moments kept Taos from building any momentum and helped Los Alamos stay in command from first pitch to final out.

The victory carried extra weight because Taos had beaten Los Alamos 11-1 in the April 18 district split before the Toppers answered in the rematch. Los Alamos also showed earlier in April that it could overwhelm another district opponent, beating Moriarty 19-4 in a mercy-rule game after scoring seven runs in the first inning and 11 more in the fourth. That earlier rout, combined with Monday’s win over Taos, suggests a team that is not just winning, but doing it in a way that looks increasingly sustainable.

Friday’s game in Moriarty now stands as the final test. Los Alamos takes that road trip with the district title within reach and with a clear message from Bomber Field: this group can hit, defend and close out games fast when it matters most.