Panthers lose to PVHS; travel to face Dolores County today

Panthers lose to PVHS; travel to face Dolores County today

Mar. 22, 2001

'And here's the pitch'

JOSH KNAPP of the Montezuma-Cortez High School varsity baseball team winds up and delivers a pitch to a Piedra Vista batter during action on Tuesday at PVHS. It was nearly perfect baseball weather, unlike the weather a few days before. The Panthers lost 11-1. They will travel to Dove Creek to face Dolores County today.

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

FARMINGTON — Against Kirtland-Central in the first game of the Aztec Tournament last Friday and again against Piedra Vista on Tuesday afternoon, March 20, the Panthers gave up a big inning which came back to haunt them later.

Against the Broncos on March 9, Kirtland scored 10 runs in the first inning and cruised to a 10-0 win. At Piedra Vista on Tuesday, the home team scored five times in the first inning and cruised to an 11-1 victory. Cortez fell to 2-2 on the season.

"We still have a lot of work to do," MCHS head coach Chuck Cotter said following the game. "We have got to stop those big innings."

With two outs, PVHS pushed one run across the plate and Jeremy Uhl brought home two more with a single and then another PV player slugged a two-run triple.

The Panthers settled down and played pretty good baseball until the bottom of the sixth inning when PVHS exploded for four more runs to salt the game away.

Before that, though, MCHS got several base runners on, but could not get them home. Starting pitcher Tony McComb also settled down and pitched well. The Panthers stopped a PV rally in the bottom of the third when it had runners at the corners with one out. MCHS catcher Chris Dibsie threw out a would-be base stealer at second.

The Panthers’ lone run came in the top of the sixth. Kevin Wayman walked and later scored when Matt Betts hit a grounder.

But then the flood gates opened again. Brett Darnell slugged a two-run triple and PV capitalized on two MCHS miscues.

McComb worked six complete innings but took the loss. Betts relieved him in the sixth but was tagged for four runs in that inning. Heath Cates started and picked up the win but he was relieved by Darnell.

But even in a big loss, several players usually play well.

"Richard Yake is doing a good job as a leadoff batter. He’s getting on and has been productive in that spot. Josh Knapp is hitting the ball well. McComb pitched well except for that first inning. Betts is looking good defensively and Dibsie is coming along as a catcher," Cotter added.

The Panthers take on Dolores County at 1 p.m. today, March 22, at Webber Park Field in Dove Creek. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off a thrilling 13-9 nine-inning win over Monticello, Utah, on Tuesday at Monticello. The game was to be played at Webber Park but the field was not quite ready.

Dallas Coker cracked a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth for Dolores County. Terence Gardner tied the game with a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings. Both teams came up with runs in the eighth before the Bulldogs broke the game open in the ninth.

The Buckaroos took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. DCHS responded with four runs in the bottom of the second. Monticello added two more in the top of the third. The Bucks pulled ahead 5-4 with two in the fifth. The Bulldogs took the lead back at 6-5 with two in the bottom of that inning. Monticello scored once in both the fifth and sixth and once in the eighth and ninth. DCHS scored once in the seventh, once in the eighth and five in the ninth.

Chris Kail went four-for-six at the plate with a double. Keith Pierce went three-for-six with a double and four runs batted in. Gardner, Coker, and Spitzer all had two hits for the Bulldogs.

Coker worked seven and two-thirds inning but it was Gardner, who came in and pitched an inning and a third who picked up the win.

"We hit the ball pretty well but we made a lot of errors (seven)," DCHS head coach Ken Soper commented. "I was pleased that we came back from being behind in the seventh but I’m not pleased that we left a lot on bases (11)."

Dove Creek improved to 4-1 overall.

Dolores continues to play well. It held off Shiprock, N.M., for an 8-7 win at Gonzales Field at Joe Rowell Park.

The Chiefs pushed five runs across the plate in the top of the first inning and then scored twice in the seventh.

"It was a comedy of a lot of things happening," DHS head coach Jim Everin reported. "They hit the ball, we made some mistakes, but we finally got a break and shut the door."

The Bears, who are on a three-game winning streak, scored once in the bottom of the first and then scored five times in the third to lead 6-5. Dolores increased its lead by scoring in the fourth and fifth before Shiprock made a comeback in the top of the seventh.

Creed Williford went three-for-four with a double. Aeson Reed banged a bases-loaded triple, Nick Martinez went two-for-four including a double and Casey Garvin and Colter Dunagan both rapped doubles.

Kevin Fane worked seven innings plus. He fanned three but walked four in picking up the win. Cullen Zion faced two batters but picked up a save.

The Bears, 3-2, host MCHS JVs at 2 p.m. Friday, March 23, at Gonzales Field.