Journal Staff Report

GRAND JUNCTION — After getting blown out on Friday, March 24, against Grand Junction Central, the Panthers came back and played a better game but still came up short against Grand Junction High on Saturday, March 25.

Montezuma-Cortez High School lost 16-0 to Central and then fell 12-11 to Grand Junction High. The Panthers are now 0-2 in Southwest League and 3-4 overall.

The Tigers scored a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to break an 11-11 deadlock for the victory.

GJHS jumped out to a commanding 5-0 lead in the first inning. The Tigers also added one in the fourth and five more in the fifth before their final run in the eighth. Cortez chipped away at the Tigers’ lead and eventually tied the game in the top of the sixth. After a scoreless seventh by both teams, the Panthers couldn’t manage to score another run while the Tigers finally pushed a run over in the bottom of the eighth.

Tony McComb took the loss. He came in relief of Ryan Loyd who came in during the fifth. Josh Cornett started. Keith Jenkins started for the Tigers. Gary Blackburn replaced him in the fourth. Urell Gonzales and Don Clement both pitched in the sixth. Clement was credited with the win.

Evan Frost and Josh Cornett ripped doubles for the Panthers. Cortez managed eight hits during the game. Don Clement cracked a double and Cody Baumgardner a triple for the Tigers.

The biggest Panther problem were themselves. The committed seven errors.

The Southwest League baseball game didn’t last very long on Friday, March 24, against Central of Grand Junction. It lasted only five innings. MCHS came out on the short end of a 16-0 score.

The 14-hit attack by the Warriors, eight of which went for extra bases, was just too much offense for the Panthers. Of course, the one-hit pitching of Jason Martinez also was a factor.

Eight of Central's nine starting-lineup batters got hits. J.C. Jensen went 2-for-3 with a triple and a home run, knocking in four runs. Dylan Coleman went 3-for-3 and scored three runs.

Martinez set the tone from the outset, giving up a single to the second batter, Matt Ruggles, who would end up being the only Panthers to hit. Beyond that, he struck out the remaining three batters in the inning.

Central gave him all the run support he needed in the bottom of the inning, scoring four times, including twice on Bateman's two-run double. The Warriors added seven more in the second, pounding out seven hits, including triples by Jensen and Ryan Brennan. Central pushed five more across in the third, getting a solo homer from catcher Mike Johnson and a three-run shot by Jensen on a liner over the center field fence.

Martinez did the rest. He allowed only one more runner to reach base, that on a hit batsman in the fourth.

He struck out 12, including the last five batters. Only two Cortez hitters worked him to a 3-1 count; he struck them both out.