SHIPROCK — It was a very good high school baseball game to watch. It certainly was not like the game where Dolores County crushed Kirtland-Central JVs 11-2 during the first game of the Cortez JV Tournament. This baseball game actually resembled a baseball game instead of a slugfest. That is until the Bulldogs broke the game open with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat K-C JVs 6-2 early Thursday morning, March 29, in the first game of the Shiprock Invitational Baseball Tournament at SHS Field.

"It was a good game to watch from a fan’s point," DCHS head coach Ken Soper said following the game. "It certainly wasn’t like the game we played against them the first time. I was pleased that we were able to come from behind and win. This team has been doing that a lot. It is good one way but that means were not scoring runs earlier in the game."

The Bulldogs, who improved to 6-1, were scheduled to play Farmington C-team Friday morning in the semifinals. A win in that game would put DCHS into the championship game slated for about 3 p.m. today, March 31. A loss would send them into the battle for third-fourth at about 1 p.m. The seventh-eighth place game will open with the first pitch at 8 a.m. and the fifth-sixth contest for about 10:30 a.m.

Farmington C crushed Zuni, N.M., 9-1 in their quarterfinal game. The Farmington-Dove Creek game will be a rematch of the Shiprock Tournament championship game of a year ago which the Bulldogs won.

The game on Thursday was tight until the top of the sixth. K-C starting pitcher Lonnie Anderson kept the Bulldogs’ bat silent through much of the game. He kept the ball moving by mixing up his pitches. But in the sixth he began to get tired. The Bronco defense also let him down by making a critical error.

Kieth Pierce opened the inning by beating out an infield single. Terence Gardner hit the ball but the short stop fired the ball into short right field. Pierce moved to second and Gardner was on first. Both runners then advanced a base on a wild pitch. Dallas Daves then drew a walk to load the bases. Pierce came running home on another wild pitch. Then Casey Spitzer stepped up to the plate and smacked a single. At that point, Devon Manning came to replace Anderson. Joe Buffington put down a perfect bunt to get on base and move Spitzer into scoring position at third. Kyle Krafka slapped a pinch-hit single to score two more runs.

It looked like the Bulldogs were going to blow K-C away in the bottom of the first just like it did the first time the two teams met. After two strike outs, Pierce reached first on balls. Gardner also walked. Pierce zipped to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.

After Anderson retired the side with strike outs in the second, the Broncos tied the game in the bottom of the frame with a two-out rally. Domingo Masquez cracked a double to right and then scored when Cody Noon belted a single and an error brought Masquez home.

"He’s a good pitcher. They didn’t throw him against us the first time. We had a tough time trying to hit him," Soper remarked.

Anderson kept the Bulldogs off balance until the sixth. Meanwhile, KCHS went ahead 2-1 when Lance Aspaas hit a single. A costly throwing error allowed him to zip on to third base. He scored on a RBI single by Masquez.

"That error almost cost us the game. I was not pleased with our defense today. I gave them time off (earlier in the week during spring break) because some of them went straight from basketball to baseball with out a break. But that time off showed up today," Soper added.

Dallas Coker went the distance on the mound and picked up the win. He fanned four and only gave up one walk. Both runs were unearned. Coker held K-C to just six hits. Anderson was tagged with the loss. He whiffed eight Bulldog batters. No Bulldogs picked up two or more hits on the day.

After completing the tournament today, the Bulldogs host Bayfield at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, at Webber Park Field.

Dolores returns to the baseball diamond after taking a few days off for spring break. The Bears host Ignacio at 2 p.m. Tuesday.