As the season moves into its final stretch, the Montezuma-Cortez High School baseball team knows that if it is going to reach its goals, not every win will be a work of art.
With first place in the Intermountain League on the line at McAndrew Field on Friday afternoon, the Panthers needed playoff-level grit to close out two hard-fought victories over visiting Alamosa. In an 8-6, 10-9 sweep of the Moose, the Panthers took a significant step toward repeating as league champions while further cementing a CHSAA ranking that keeps them on track to host another Class 3A regional pod on the third weekend in May.
Montezuma-Cortez (11-5, 4-0 IML) jumped on Alamosa (11-9, 4-2 IML) in both games, building leads of 8-1 through two innings in the opener and 7-1 after the first frame in the nightcap. Alamosa rallied in both contests and briefly took a 9-8 lead in the second game before the Panthers responded with go-ahead runs in the sixth inning to eliminate any chance of a shared league title.
The Panthers hold a two-game cushion with two league doubleheaders remaining, with third-place Bayfield (6-12, 2-2 IML – May 7) and last-place Centauri (8-7, 0-4 IML – May 9) standing between them and another IML crown. Before those regular-season finales, Montezuma-Cortez faces San Juan on Monday, April 27, at Parque de Vida, followed by a trip to Hotchkiss to face North Fork on Saturday, May 2.
Dove Creek 13, Center 5 (Saturday)
Nucla 9, Dove Creek 3
The Bulldogs and Mustangs have lost count of how many times their fight for district supremacy has come down to a pivotal hit or strikeout. With potential district realignment putting the rivalry in limbo, Dove Creek and Nucla appear headed for at least one more classic district showdown.
Nucla (8-8) took the first of three regular-season meetings Saturday afternoon at the Soper Sports Complex, using a five-run first inning to pull away. Dove Creek’s offense came alive in the final inning, but RBIs from seniors Josh Kibel and Trevan Ivie and junior Konner Spigner were not enough to overcome the deficit.
The Bulldogs (5-11) opened the day strong, scoring 12 runs in the first three innings to put away Center, led by a double and triple from Ivie, who drove in four runs. Freshman Kycen Gritz backed up Spigner’s start with four innings of one-hit ball, while classmates Lochlan Stowe and Destry Blair combined to score three runs.
Dove Creek travels to the West End on Tuesday to close the regular season with a doubleheader against the Mustangs before district play begins the following weekend.
