In the fourth inning of Game 1 in the San Juan Basin League doubleheader in Ignacio, Dolores\u2019 Mikeal Ford scored on a swipe that, by its cerebral nature, the Georgia Peach would have loved.<\/p>\n
Inserted for the second time as a courtesy runner for pitcher Kellen Gatzke, who had just doubled to center off Bobcat starter Adison Jones, Ford stole third base with shortstop Ethen Upton at bat. Seconds later, after advancing partially down the third-base line on a wild pitch, Ford crept even closer to the dish when IHS catcher Rain Rosa made a lazy return throw to Jones.<\/p>\n
And when Jones showed his shell and stepped towards the mound, Ford was off and safe with a headlong dive into the dirt to his fans\u2019 delight as Jones\u2019 hurried toss back to an unprepared Rosa went high.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, the third baseman wasn\u2019t holding me on, and the catcher was slow to the mound,\u201d said Ford, whose run increased DHS\u2019 advantage to 8-1 on SunUte Field. \u201cAnd the pitcher had already turned his back \u2026 so I just took off!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jones managed to get out of the inning three Bears later, but the damage was done; Ignacio managed just five baserunners the rest of the way, the first of which, Clayton Jefferson, was gunned down by catcher Kolton Shull on an attempted steal of second in the bottom of the fourth.<\/p>\n
Gatzke, then worked out of a jam in the Bobcats\u2019 fifth, stranding Joe Herrera at third and Tucker Ward at second by inducing four-hole hitter Bo Ward to pop harmlessly to Upton.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody played really good,\u201d said Gatzke, \u201cShull had a few good throw-downs, was a wall back there. I had a hurt back today \u2013 pulled something the other day \u2013 so it was kind of hard for me to pitch. But I pulled through it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leadoff hitter Cody Carroll, who went 5-for-7 (with two walks and one hit-by-pitch, and eight runs scored) in the 14-1, 19-5 sweep, came in on Shull\u2019s triple down the left-field line, underneath Bo Ward\u2019s glove at third, in the guests\u2019 sixth off Tucker Ward, and Shull then scored the first game\u2019s last run on an RBI-single to left by Gatzke (2-5).<\/p>\n
\u201cCody Carroll, he\u2019s always doing good-he\u2019s leading the team in batting average \u2013 and Kolton Shull always backs him up,\u201d said Gatzke. \u201cThe beginning of the order\u2019s really solid; we\u2019ve got four good hitters right in a row, so \u2026 as soon as the game starts we\u2019re solid already.\u201d<\/p>\n
Game 1 four-hole Upton was bumped down a slot starting Game 2, in favor of big Tyler Weir, who saw no action in the opener. But there was no beat missed; after Rosa, IHS\u2019 starter, walked Carroll, Shull and Gatzke to begin, Weir whacked a single to left to plate the lead pair.<\/p>\n
His next AB \u2013 Dolores\u2019 13th plate appearance in the inning \u2013 yielded two more RBIs on a long single to center, and he himself scored when Jefferson botched the scoop on the play and the ball rolled ever nearer the fence, making the score already Bears 11, Bobcats 0.<\/p>\n
Upton and Deano Valdez \u2013 beanballed and walked, respectively \u2013 would also reach base and ultimately score to close the book early on Rosa after Tucker Ward was again summoned for fireman duty.<\/p>\n
The \u2018Cats (3-14, 0-9 SJBL) countered with a run in their first- and second-inning at-bats, but the outcome was never in doubt, especially when Weir polished off a four-run fifth with a double, bringing in Gatzke.<\/p>\n
IHS two-hole Anthony Manzanares managed to single and score on a Tucker Ward double off Carroll in the bottom of the inning, but after a Bo Ward pop-up back to the hill and a sacrifice fly by Jones to move Ward to third, Carroll ended the game with a pick-off of Ward at third.<\/p>\n
Re-creating his footwork \u2013 thought a balk by the locals \u2013 to the umpires, the play stood as called.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I know,\u201d Shull summarized, looking ahead to the 2A-District 2 Tournament with Dolores finishing 5-4 in league, \u201cis it was too late to keep making errors, not getting our bats off the bus!\u201d<\/p>\n
Low-enders Evan Moore and Stetson Hamilton were 8-for-16 combined, with five runs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s crunch time,\u201d said Shull. \u201cGot to get our bats going, play hard; it\u2019s good to put up some.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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