CORTEZ – As the season heads into the business end of the campaign, the Panthers baseball team knows that if they get to where they want to go, 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 get across the finish line with a pair of hard-fought victories over visiting Alamosa. In their 8-6, 10-9 sweep of the Moose, the Panthers took a giant leap forward to a league title repeat, while also further cementing their CHSAA ranking that keeps them on the path to host another 3A regional pod on the third weekend in May.
M-CHS (11-5, 4-0 3A IML) pounced on Alamosa (11-9, 4-2 IML) in both contests, staking out leads of 8-1 through two innings in the opener and 7-1 after the opening frame in the second encounter. However, Alamosa battled back on both occasions, even briefly taking a 9-8 lead in the second game before the Panthers answered with the go-ahead runs in the sixth inning to ensure that there wouldn’t be the possibility of a shared league title.
The Panthers now own a two-game cushion with two league doubleheaders remaining on the schedule, with third-place Bayfield (6-12, 2-2 IML – May 7) and last-place Centauri (8-7, 0-4 IML – May 9) standing between the Panthers and another IML crown. Prior to those regular season closing series, M-CHS faces San Juan on Monday, Apr. 27 at Parque de Vida, then 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 track of how many times their claim for district supremacy has come down to a pivotal hit or strikeout over the years. With potential reshuffling of districts putting the rivalry in a state of limbo, DC and Nucla appear to be headed for at least one more classic district slugfest.
Nucla (8-8) snatched the first of the three regular season duels on Saturday afternoon at the Soper Sports Complex, riding a five-run first inning to the win. Dove Creek’s offense came to life in the final inning, but RBIs from seniors Josh Kibel, Trevan Ivie, and junior Konner Spigner weren’t enough to overcome the deficit.
The ‘Dogs (5-11) started the day on the right foot, scoring 12 times in the opening three innings to put away the Vikings, led by a double and triple for Ivie, who drove in four runs. Freshman Kycen Gritz backed up Spigner’s starting effort 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 conclude the regular season with a twin bill against the Mustangs before district play kicks off on the following weekend.
