Six total runs from the No. 9 slot in the batting order. And another five from the eight-hole.
That pretty much summarized how Dolores’ trip Tuesday to overcast Ignacio went.
“We’ve got a solid batting lineup from top to bottom, really,” said head coach Rusty Hamilton. “And right now, it doesn’t matter who I put where, we produce and produce runs. It’s fun.”
It did take the visiting Bears the better part of four innings to find their groove, but once they did, there was little hope for the young Bobcats as DHS took both ends of the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League doubleheader, 13-2 and 12-2.
“This year, it’s just ‘Play our game.’ Every game,” Hamilton said when asked about the team’s approach to closing out the regular season against struggling IHS. “We’re playing good ball – we’ve been playing good ball all year – so we don’t change a thing any game.”
Ahead 1-0 after three frames in Game 1, but suddenly trailing 2-1 entering the bottom (as the twinbill was originally slated to be played in Dolores, the teams agreed to designate DHS the “home” team for one contest) of the fourth, senior Neil Farias brought the Bear bats to life with a solo homer to leftfield – sparking a four-run outburst and chasing Ignacio starter Adam House (L; 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, BB, 2 Ks) off the mound.
After retiring the ’Cats quickly in the top of the fifth, DHS clinched victory by sending 13 hitters to the plate and generating eight runs in the bottom half, with Isaiah Knox (1-2, BB, HBP, 2 R, RBI) drawing a bases-loaded walk and driving in senior Brennan Hite (1-3, BB, R) to officially conclude matters.
Farias (2-4, 2 R, RBI) allowed just two hits and an earned run in notching a complete-game win, while walking one and striking out three. Senior Dakota Smith was 1-3 with a run and two batted in, while No. 8 stick J.J. Brunner was 1-2 with two runs and as many RBIs. In the nine-hole, junior catcher Cael Schmittel went 1-1 with an RBI and drew two walks; courtesy runner Keegan Spurlock, a sophomore, scored three runs in his place.
Receiving a Game 2 start in right field, Spurlock went 1-for-1, walked twice and scored three times. Another sophomore, Brunner, was 1-2 with a walk and also reached via a fielder’s-choice grounder as he recorded three runs plus an RBI.
Staked a 4-0 lead through two innings, senior Cameron Chavez earned the win – Smith’s two-run homer in the visitors’ fifth created the 10-run margin – on the hill by working 3-2/3 innings, allowing just two hits and as many runs (though only one was earned) while walking one, plunking two and fanning four.
He also went 2-3 offensively with a sacrifice fly, two runs scored and two knocked in, while Smith went 2-4 with two runs and two RBIs but reached base all four of his plate appearances thanks to a double and two Bobcat errors at shortstop.
In defeat, IHS sophomore Lawrence Toledo was a combined 1-for-4 with a triple and two runs. Junior Cesar Pedregon finished 2-4, including a ground-rule double in Game 2, and logged an RBI, while lone senior Rendon Mestas ended up 1-4 with a Game 2 double and one RBI.
Gabe Tucson (2.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 3 Ks) took the Game 2 loss for Ignacio, which fell to 1-13 overall, 1-6 against all SJBL opposition and 0-3 against the loop’s 2A side – meaning Dolores, which improved to 12-5, 5-2, and 3-0, respectively, authoritatively closed out the regular season prior to next week’s District 3/5 Tournament action.
After going 3-for-3 versus the ’Cats, the Bears now stand a solid 6-1 this spring against all D-3/5 teams, which also include Western Slope League members Hotchkiss, Paonia, Rangely and Meeker.
FINAL REGULAR-SEASON 2A/1A SJBL STANDINGS 1.Nucla 6-1, 2.Dolores 5-2, 3.Dove Creek 2-5, 4. Ignacio 1-6.