<\/p>\n
As it became more and more clear that 11 was Montezuma-Cortez\u2019s magic number Saturday, Preston Davidovich chose to go above and beyond.<\/p>\n
With a runner at second base in the bottom of the sixth inning of the 2019 Ignacio Baseball Invitational\u2019s final contest, Davidovich fanned IHS\u2019 Gabe Tucson for a 12th strikeout.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the ace this year, and \u2026 he was killing it,\u201d said M-CHS\u2019 Ryan Medina. \u201cI\u2019m proud of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
A shutout, however, would escape him.<\/p>\n
Removed from the mound after allowing just two hits and four walks, Tucson had been his sixth \u2018K\u2019 in 10 batters faced \u2013 Davidovich\u2019s clean sheet was finally stained when Bobcat pinch hitter Clint Talamante-Benavidez reached on an error against Medina, allowing teammate Holland Roukema, who\u2019d led off the at-bat with an infield single to short before stealing second with Tucson up, to reach third.<\/p>\n
Senior Mike Archuleta\u2019s pinch-hit ground-out to the right side then plated Roukema for an unearned run charged to Davidovich \u2013 a very small consolation prize for 2A Ignacio, as Medina then got pinch hitter Gerald Howe to pop up to second, securing an 11-1 mercy-rule victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were just coming into this game with fresh minds, not thinking about last game,\u201d said Davidovich (W; 5.1 IP, 2 H, R, 4 BB, 12 K), referring to a late-inning collapse and 11-8 loss to 1A Dove Creek earlier in the day. \u201cAnd then just doing our best, every way we can.\u201d<\/p>\n
After Davidovich struck out Tucson to escape a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the bottom of the first, the Panthers (2-1, 0-0 3A Intermountain) got on the scoreboard first when Tristan York, aboard on a fielder\u2019s-choice grounder, reached second on what should have been an inning-ending bouncer, off senior Cordell Baer\u2019s bat, mishandled by IHS second baseman Bela Torres.<\/p>\n
York then stole third base and hustled home when pitcher Roukema\u2019s throw to third baseman Cesar Pedregon missed its mark. Baer alertly took third on the play and scored on Medina\u2019s subsequent single to center.<\/p>\n
Davidovich then dodged danger in the home half of the frame, stranding Bobcats at second and third, but Ignacio (0-3, 0-0 2A\/1A San Juan Basin) answered with a rally-stopping double play in the guests\u2019 fourth. Tucson managed to reach leading off the bottom of the fourth via an error, but Davidovich fanned Colten Jackson \u2013 swiftly ejected for mouthing his frustrated opinion about the off-speed delivery \u2013 and froze Torres.<\/p>\n
A walk to 9-hole hitter Dylan Labarthe proved inconsequential, as leadoff hitter Lawrence Toledo struck out looking.<\/p>\n
Montezuma-Cortez then broke through firmly in the fifth, chasing Roukema (L; 5 IP, 5 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K) off the hill with three runs. Two (Baer, Medina) touched home plate via a pinch-hit single by Carson Yoder and the third (Clayton Yoder) scored on designated hitter Ty Blackmer\u2019s one-out ground-out to short.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter that happened we were all having fun,\u201d said Davidovich. \u201cWe calmed down a lot, then started getting runs in because we were calm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Given Jackson\u2019s spot in right field, Talamante-Benavidez dropped M-CHS pinch hitter Kerwin Tom\u2019s inning-starting fly ball in the top of the sixth, and the Panthers proceeded to put the game out of reach. Leadoff man Dylan Kibel (1-4, R) then doubled to center off Pedregon, pinch hitter Korie Likes walked, and Baer (0-3, 3 R) plated Tom with a bases-loaded beanball.<\/p>\n
Medina (3-4, 2 R, 4 RBI) then, for all practical purposes, put the issue to bed with a bases-clearing, spirit-crushing double to left-center, increasing Montezuma-Cortez\u2019s lead to 9-0.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just had to sit back on it, drive it to a gap. Felt good!\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to focus up a lot more \u2013 made a few errors we need to clean up \u2013 but so far we\u2019re looking good.\u201d<\/p>\n
M-CHS\u2019 targeted 11th run then came in when Clayton Yoder reached on an error at first base, advancing Medina to third. Matt Mitchell, running for Yoder, then stole second before Pedregon (0.2 IP, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, K, HB) struck out Carson Yoder (1-2, 2 RBI). Blackmer (0-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI), however, came through with another RBI-ground-out, and Mitchell then scored when Logan Birch cracked a grounder bobbled at the hot corner.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall I think we did really good,\u201d Davidovich said of M-CHS\u2019 efforts at the three-day meet, while looking ahead to Tuesday\u2019s home-opening doubleheader versus 2A Del Norte, \u201cbut there\u2019s a lot that we need to work on. Just practice \u2026 like we\u2019re in a game, do what we can.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the loss to DCHS, Baer went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and as many RBI, while Clayton Yoder went 2-4 with three RBI. Kibel went 1-4 with a double, run and a ribbie, and York went 1-3 with a walk and scored twice.<\/p>\n
Montezuma-Cortez began the Invitational and their season with a come-from-behind 15-7 defeat of Dolores on Day 1. Overcoming a 7-4 deficit facing them after two innings, the Panthers then blanked the Bears 11-0 during the next three before the time-shortened (due to weather) clash was called complete.<\/p>\n
Medina went 3-3 with two doubles, scored twice and drove in two, while Kibel finished 3-5 with a double, triple, run and four RBI. York was 2-3 with a run and an RBI, and Baer was 1-2 with two walks, a homer, two runs and an RBI. Ernie Padilla went 1-2 with a walk, scored once, and plated three.<\/p>\n
DHS (2-2, 0-0 SJBL) and DCHS (2-1, 0-0) are slated to begin official SJBL play Tuesday in Dove Creek.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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