The Dolores Bears (0-9, 0-3 2A District 2 League) fell to the Ignacio Bobcats (7-3, 3-0 2A District 2 League) on Tuesday, 7-0, in a game that featured just eight total hits.
Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the first inning, but the Bobcats broke free with four runs in the bottom of the second, including a two-out, two-RBI single by senior Anthony Manzanares.
Dolores stranded freshman Dakota Smith in its half of the second inning. Smith had singled with one away to provide the Bears’ first hit of the game, and their next baserunner wouldn’t come until the fifth inning.
Ignacio junior Juanito Medina struck out the side in the top of the third inning, and then relief pitcher Tucker Ward sent the Bears down in order to start the fourth.
Ignacio scored another run in the fourth to take a 5-0 advantage, and then tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth to complete the scoring.
The Bears’ best chance to score came in the top of the fifth, when Smith led off with a double to center past a diving Kruz Pardo for his – and the Bears’ – second hit of the contest.
But batting next, Brandon Ward flew out to center field and Smith was gunned down by Pardo attempting to tag up and advance to third for an 8-5 double play.
Freshman Brennan Hite then singled back through the box, but was promptly thrown out attempting to steal second.
Smith and Hite combined for the Bears’ only three hits in the contest, as Ignacio’s trio of pitchers – Medina, Ward and Pardo – struck out a combined 11 Dolores batters and held the visitors scoreless.
“They brought in three different pitchers and they pitched pretty well against us,” said Dolores head coach Rusty Hamilton. “And we batted poorly.”
As poorly as Dolores hit, Ignacio wasn’t much better.
The Bobcats managed just five hits in the game, but they were aided by four walks, two hit batters and errors by the visitors.
Ward pitched all six innings for Dolores, allowing five hits and four earned runs, while striking out two. And he limited the heart of Ignacio’s lineup – Ward, Austin McCaw and Zach Weinrich – to a combined 1-for-10 on the day.
“He did really well on the mound,” Hamilton said. “I think we had a couple of errors that cost him a couple of runs, but overall, they had one big inning that put them quite a ways ahead.”
Dolores will next travel to Nucla (3-7, 1-1 1A District 1 League) for a double-header on Saturday.
“I think they’re definitely beatable,” he said. “It’s just comes down to fundamentals. We’ve got to hit the ball, catch the ball and throw the ball. I think if we can put all the elements together in one game, we’ll be equal or better than them.”