Panthers open Aztec Tournament with loss to Kirtland-Central

Panthers open Aztec Tournament with loss to Kirtland-Central

Mar. 17, 2001

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

AZTEC, N.M. — For Montezuma-Cortez High School’s varsity baseball team, it was an inauspicious start to the sixth annual Aztec Invitational which opened Thursday, March 15, at AHS Field at Koogler Middle School.

The Broncos scored 10 times in the top of the first inning and never scored again. The Panthers did not score.

Some mental mistakes and a key error paved the way for the Broncos. Already up 3-0, Tarren Wethington hit a sacrifice RBI. Darran Thomas followed with a double and later scored along with Dustin Shevokas off an RBI single by Pat Crawford to extend the Broncos' lead to 6-0.

Garrett Lucero and Kenny Smith brought home a couple of more runs for the Broncos, before more defensive miscues hurt the Panthers later in the inning. Kirtland's Tyrenton Platero reached base on an error by the Cortez defense, scoring Smith and Lucero for the 10 runs.

The Broncos collected seven of their 10 total hits during the stanza.

Lucero, who pitched a complete-game four-hitter, set the pace for the Bronco defense. He fanned the first two batters and after giving up a triple, forced the next batter into an inning-ending groundout. Patrick Reed started on the mill and took the loss for MCHS.

The only time Cortez threatened was when it got runners on with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third inning. The Broncos’ defense came through after making plays on two ground balls and a pop fly.

The Panthers played Friday (after deadline) in a loser’s bracket game. A win would put Cortez playing at approximately 1 p.m. today, March 17, for fifth place while a loss would put them playing at 11:30 a.m. for seventh. The third-place game is set for 4:30 and the championship game immediately following.

In other tournament games, Piedra Vista pounded Grants, N.M., 12-0, host Aztec clobbered Pagosa Springs 18-3, and West Las Vegas, N.M., beat Aztec JVs.

The annual Cortez JV Tournament got under way Friday at both Parque de Vida and Englehart ball parks. Dolores played Cortez JVs, Ignacio meet the Bears, and Ignacio played Cortez JVs at Parque de Vida. At Englehart Field, Dolores County played Kirtland-Central JVs, K-C JVs meet Bayfield and Bayfield took on DCHS.

Tournament action moves to Parque de Vida all day today. Number three takes on number three at 10 a.m., number two faces number two at 12:30 p.m. and number one faces number one at 3 p.m. There will be an eight-run rule for all games except for the championship. A two-and-half hour time limit will be enforced (no innings starting after that time, except for championship game).

Dove Creek beat Piedra Vista JVs on Tuesday, March 13, in a game played at Parque de Vida. It was originally scheduled for Farmington but wet fields forced the game to be moved to Dove Creek. Webber Park Field was not in good shape because of mud, so the game was moved to Cortez.

The Bulldogs scored four times in the third and six times in the fourth to coast to the 12-6 win and improve their record to 2-0 on the young season.

DCHS scored its first run in the bottom of the first inning but Piedra Vista rallied with four runs in the top of the second for a 4-1 lead. The Bulldogs then pushed four across the plate in the bottom of the third to lead 5-4. They increased their lead to 11-4 after scoring six runs in the fourth. They sent nine batters to the plate and five batters hit the ball. Each team scored once in the sixth and PVHS added one run in the top of the seventh. DCHS did not bat in the bottom of the seventh.

The Bulldogs collected nine hits on the day. Terence Gardner went two-for-four and picked up two runs batted in. James Smith went three-for-three with two doubles and knocked in a run. Dallas Coker went two-for-four and scored three times.

"I was not pleased with our defense (made three errors and several mental mistakes)," DCHS head coach Ken Soper said. "In the second inning we let a fly ball drop between three of our guys and that let the flood gates open. Yes, we have not practiced outside but those guys were all veterans and one of them should have called for it. Offensively, we have been hitting the ball pretty well considering all we’ve been able to do is hit tennis balls in the gym."