SHIPROCK, N.M. — It was like playing in a domed stadium for the Dolores County High School varsity baseball team at the second annual Chieftain Invitational Baseball Tournament.

A slow-moving early spring storm brought rain, hail, and snow to almost every Four Corners area community. Wet weather forced postponement of Southwest League ball games for Montezuma-Cortez. The Panthers’ contest against Palisade was postponed on Friday, March 31, and the weather system played a cruel joke on them on Saturday, April 1, as not only the rescheduled game against Palisade but the scheduled game against Fruita-Monument were postponed. Both Parque de Vida and Englehart fields were in no shape for baseball. Those games will be made up at a later date, according to MCHS Athletic Director Brad Jones.

Luckily for Dolores, the Bears were idle over spring break week.

But while games were being washed away in Cortez, baseball was played in Shiprock in the semifinals. It was cloudy and there was a cold wind on Friday when the Bulldogs played host Shiprock. It was cloudy and the skies were threatening all day Saturday. The Bulldogs played Farmington High School "C" team in the finals.

Dove Creek defeated the young Scorpions 15-7 to win the title. They beat the Chiefs 7-2 the day before. The Bulldogs crushed Zuni, N.M., 31-0 on Thursday, March 30, in the first round.

Against FHS C (sophomores), the game got off on the wrong foot for the Bulldogs. Farmington scored three times in the top of the first inning. Kyle Wilkins ripped a two-run single and Nick Saiz followed with another single. The Bulldogs went down quietly in the bottom of the first.

After FHS threatened but did not score in the top of the second, the Bulldogs tied the game at 3-3 when Terence Gardner cracked a two-run double to center field. Gardner later scored on a couple of wild pitches.

Farmington went up 4-3 in the third inning after Saiz tripled in a run after a player had earlier struckout but reached base when the DCHS catcher dropped the ball. The Bulldogs did not score, although they did threaten with two runners on.

The Scorps scored twice in the top of the fourth to take a 6-3 lead. But the Bulldogs responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Dallas Daves tripled in Justin Wyatt who had walked and Keith Pierce knocked in Daves with a single. Farmington added another run in the top of the fifth to lead 7-3.

Time was beginning to run out for Dolores County. Then the Bulldogs exploded for 10 runs in the bottom of the fifth. Wyatt belted a two-run single, Daves knocked in a run with a single, Pierce picked up an RBI with a single, Gardner knocked in a run with a single, Dallas Coker was credited with an RBI when he walked with the bases loaded, and Wyatt again knocked in two more runs with a single. All total, 16 batsmen went to the plate. Farmington did not score in the top of the sixth. The game was called at that point because of darkness.

Ron Ernst went the distance on the mound in picking up the win. He struck out six. Brent Griffith started for Farmington and Saiz replaced him. Griffith was charged with the loss.

The Bulldogs went down 1-2-3 in the first inning against the Chiefs in the top of the first. Shiprock threatened but did not score after DCHS pitcher Ron Ernst walked a couple batters. Dove Creek threatened again in the top of the second by getting two runners on. Shiprock also threatened with a pair of runners on but left them stranded in the bottom of the inning.

Dove Creek had the bases loaded in the third but could not get any of them home. The Chiefs had runners on but also could not get them around.

Pierce singled and stole second and reached third on a grounder in the top of the fourth. Jarrod Wyatt reached first to put runners at the corners but they were left there. Farmington got a runner on following an error but left him on first.

With two outs in the fifth, Chris Kail reached first on a miscue. He advanced to second and then stole third. Justin Wyatt singled him home before the final out was made. Farmington threatened in the fifth but did not score.

The Bulldogs broke the game open with six runs in the top of the sixth as they sent 11 batters to the plate. Coker singled and then Gardner flew out to center field. Coker was caught in no-man’s land and was doubled up. Then the fireworks started. Jade Husky knocked in two runs with the bases loaded. Daves singled in a run and Ernst singled in another. Coker atoned for his mistake and picked up two more RBI with a single.

Farmington added a run in the bottom of the sixth. The game was called on account of darkness. Gardner went the distance on the mound in picking up the win.