Hernandez’s three-run homer sends Spartans by Sierra Vista

Cimarron-Memorial’s baseball team would like to forget Tuesday’s first four innings.

Junior shortstop A.J. Hernandez made the fifth inning one to remember.

Hernandez hit a three-run homer to cap a five-run fifth as the Spartans rallied for a 5-4 road victory over Sierra Vista.

“Honestly, I didn’t think I hit it out,” said Hernandez, who drove the ball over the right field fence with one out to make it 5-4. “It was a line drive. I just tried to stay short and quick to the ball, and you know, good things happen.”

Not many good things happened for Cimarron in the first four innings. Sierra Vista had outhit the Spartans 9-1 and entered the fifth with a 4-0 lead.

Cimarron had managed only a bunt single by Hernandez before freshman Tanner McAninch got the fifth-inning rally started with a leadoff single.

“Tanner’s a good freshman. He’s real raw, but he’s got the ability to play up here, or I wouldn’t have him,” Cimarron coach Mike Hubel said. “He’ll learn, he’ll get better, and it’s going to be exciting to see a kid like that in three or four years and see what he’s capable of down the road.”

Bo Tampke then tripled into the gap in right-center to score the first run.

“We just figured out how the pitcher was throwing, and we were just driving the ball the other way,” Hernandez said. “What mostly started it off was Bo Tampke’s triple. It seemed like that got us all going and got us pumped up.”

One out later, Nate Hale walked and James Carraway singled through the right side to make it 4-2 and set up Hernandez, who spent most of last season batting near the bottom of the order. Hubel has Hernandez batting third this season.

“We’re going to have to lean on him big time,” Hubel said. “We’re asking him to move right up to the three hole and be successful, and it’s going to be hard on him. But he’s that type of hitter that can handle that type of pressure.”

Sophomore Jonas Wellan threw three hitless innings of relief to preserve the one-run lead.

“This win, it’s not a big, huge win; it’s not like a state championship or anything,” Hernandez said. “But it should get us going.”

Connor Klein and Julian Cutolo each had two hits and Nick Kingham homered for Sierra Vista, which left the bases loaded in the second and third.