Hoping to pick up at least one win after a five-hour road trip to Carbondale, the Montezuma-Cortez High School baseball team played as well as it has all season and swept a doubleheader against Carbondale on April 23.
In the opening game of the two-game showdown, the Panthers wasted little time in firing up their offense, as the team scored four runs in the top of the first inning and amassed 21 hits in what ended up being a 13-9 victory.
Seniors Clayton Yoder and Cordell Baer both had two hits and drove in three runs. Senior Ryan Medina came through with four hits and drove in two runs, and sophomore Korie Likes came through with two hits and two RBIs.
Yoder started the game on the mound for the Panthers and allowed three earned runs over four innings while striking out seven batters. Sophomore Ernie Padilla entered the game in relief, and after yielding five earned runs in his first inning of work, settled down and closed the game by tossing two scoreless frames.
In the second game of the doubleheader, M-CHS benefited from an outstanding pitching performance by junior Preston Davidovich, who pitched seven innings and allowed just one earned run during his team’s 5-3 victory. While the Panthers’ offense struggled at times against Roaring Fork starting pitcher David Good, who allowed four earned runs over five innings of work, junior Travis Beeson came through with an RBI, junior Tristan York scored two runs and Yoder had two hits.
After its wins over Roaring Fork, M-CHS’s record now stands at 8-6 overall and 1-3 in the Intermountain League. Next up for the Panthers will be a critical Intermountain League doubleheader, which will take place on the road against Pagosa Springs High School on Saturday.
