Montezuma-Cortez capped their regular season Saturday by sweeping a doubleheader with Bayfield and finishing their season 19-4 overall and 8-0 in the 3A Intermountain League.
With the 14-4 and 15-5 victories, the Panthers claimed their first outright IML league title and strengthened their case to host a regional tournament for the second time in three years.
The Panthers were fueled by a 10-run fourth inning in Game 1. They tallied 12 hits and 13 RBIs to secure the winning conference in five innings.
Junior Cory Carver led with two hits, three run, and two RBIs, while Darren Daves had a home run and drove in five runs. Senior Samson Lein added two RBIs and two hits, including a triple.
Senior Seth Oakes allowed five hits and two earned runs and struck out four.
Bayfield struck early with four runs in the first but could not keep the pace offensively. Josiah Mayfield and Tavian Box each recorded two hits for the Wolverines.
Montezuma-Cortez completed the sweep with a 15-5 run-rule victory over Bayfield in Game 2. The Panthers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first and sealed it with an explosive eight-run fourth inning.
Oakes remained a standout at the plate, going 2-3 with four RBIs and a double. Sophomore Micheal Krupa added two hits and drove in three, while Cory Carver and Brady Dale each contributed multi-RBI performances.
On the mound, senior Bobby Likes earned the win with three innings of work, and Lein closed it out in a couple frames and three strikeouts.
The Wolverines’ Austin Wilmer led with three hits, but the team could not recover from early pitching struggles and defensive miscues.
Montezuma-Cortez has been powered by a core group of outstanding performers, headlined by junior Cory Carver, who has put together an all-around campaign.
Carver leads the team in a .512 batting average with 41 hits, 33 RBIs, 10 doubles, five triples, and 23 stolen bases. His reliable presence and versatility on both sides of the ball made him an asset to the team’s success.
Classmate Daves has also been a driving force, ranking second on the team with 26 hits, 25 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases, while leading all players in on-base percentage with .575. His combination of power and speed made him a key part of the Panthers’ lineup.
Junior outfielder Parker Conrad has anchored the defense with a perfect fielding percentage and ties for second on the team with 30 runs scored, ranking third in stolen bases with 10, and adding two triples.
On the mound, junior Jaris McDonald has been a steady presence, posting a 2.55 ERA while also holding a .991 fielding percentage at first base. Likes has provided veteran leadership, ranking second in on-base percentage with .567 and perfect batting in recent games,
The CHSAA 3A regional tournament bracket will be released on Wednesday. Thirty-two teams will qualify based on CHSAA’s Seeding Index for the single elimination opening round. The eight regional winners will be re-seeded into a double-elimination state bracket, which will take place in Greeley at Butch Butler Field and University High School.
