If not for a few poor innings, the Montezuma-Cortez High School baseball team might have concluded last weekend’s two-game home stand with at least one win.
Ill-timed defensive mistakes and struggles on the mound undid M-CHS however, and the Panthers lost to Grand Junction and Montrose and fell to 6-6 on the season.
Panthers fall to Grand Junction
Playing against Grand Junction on April 10, M-CHS kept things close for six innings before losing, 18-6.
Dayne Black started on the mound for the Panthers and kept things close, allowing four earned runs over 4.1 innings. Andrew Laymon relieved Black midway through the fourth inning finished out the fifth and sixth, allowing one earned run.
With the game tied 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Konnar McGee drilled an RBI single to put the Panthers ahead 6-5. McGee’s RBI single was preceded by a sacrifice bunt by Raudy Castillo.
“Raudy had a really good day with quality at-bats,” said M-CHS manager Travis Greenlee. “His sacrifice bunt put us in position to go ahead.”
In the top of the seventh inning however, the wheels fell off the Panthers pitching staff after Laymon struggled to begin the inning. By the time the inning was over, Grand Junction had seized an 18-6 lead, and the game was all but over.
“It was a tight game, and we had one bad inning,” said Greenlee. “We have a bunch of kids who are trying so hard and want to win so bad. They put more pressure on themselves than they need to and it got them.”
Panthers lose to Montrose
Returning to the field on April 11, M-CHS stuck close to Montrose early on before eventually losing, 17-4.
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning, M-CHS scored four runs in the second to seize a 4-1 lead. Montrose tied the game 4-4 in the top of the fourth inning before pulling away in the fifth.
Konnar McGee started the game for the Panthers and allowed three earned runs in five innings.
Kevin Morales led M-CHS at the plate with one hit and two RBIs.
“All of Kevin‘s at-bats were quality at-bats,” said Greenlee.
Next up for M-CHS will be a home game against Durango, which will take place at 3:30 p.m. on April 14. Greenlee said that he expects M-CHS to enter the game with confidence.
“We feel good,” said the Panthers manager. “We’ll have (Laymon) on the mound to start the game, and we’ll have the ability to go to Konnar and Dayne if we need to. If we turn things around now, we’re in good shape. We just have to relax and stay loose.”