Momentum is key this time of year for surefire playoff teams like Durango High School baseball, and the Demons have it after dominating Pagosa Springs for two victories at home on Wednesday.
Durango looked like it was seeing the Pirates’ pitches in slow motion, the way the Demons were hitting the ball in their 18-3 and 10-0 victories. With four games remaining in the regular season, the Demons have won five consecutive games, nine of their last 10 contests and are in a great position to host a regional.
“We just took care of business,” Durango head coach Masen Hibbeler said. “It’s what we needed to come here and do today. These two games, including the next two, are extremely important for us to secure a regional spot at our home place. We’ve just got to keep taking care of it.
Durango improved to 14-5 overall and stayed at 5-1 in the 4A/5A Southwestern League after the two wins. Pagosa Springs dropped to 10-9 overall.
The Demons haven’t played a league game since April 18 and hadn’t played a game since April 21. Long breaks between games usually worry Hibbeler, but after his guys went to prom, the Demons had two of their best practices of the season before playing Pagosa Springs.
In Game 1, Durango exploded for nine runs in the first inning to take a 9-0 lead. Each team scored three runs in the second inning, and Durango scored six in the third to finish the game via mercy rule after the top of the fourth.
“Their arms were not bad at all,” Hibbeler said about Pagosa Springs. “We just stuck to our game plan, got after the fastball early, and got after it today at the plate.”
Senior Dawson McInnes finished with a team-high three hits and five RBIs in Game 1. Junior Coen Anderson, senior Dylan Burns and senior “Bubba” Padilla each finished with two hits. McInnes also had the best day on the mound, finishing with three strikeouts and no hits in one inning.
Durango dominated the first inning of Game 2 just like in Game 1, leading 8-0. Durango scored a run in the second and a run in the third inning before the game ended after the top of the fifth via mercy rule.
The Demons only had three hits, but they were very aggressive in that first inning and in the game to capitalize on Pagosa Springs’ six errors.
Senior Sam Clark pitched three innings and finished with six strikeouts in Game 2.
“Sam Clark had a really good game, which is good because we’re going to need him for the postseason,” Hibbeler said.
Durango hits the road to play at Montrose at 3 p.m. on Friday and at 11 a.m. on Saturday.