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Bayfield baseball learns lessons in split with Pagosa Springs

Wolverines’ 12-game winning streak ends

BAYFIELD – The Wolverines wake-up call sounded exactly when they needed it.

Pagosa Springs handed the Bayfield High School baseball team its first loss in more than a month, 6-3 on Saturday in Bayfield.

BHS (16-3, 7-1 Intermountain League) bounced back in a major way in the doubleheader’s second game, crushing the Pirates 26-4 in five innings, but the team received the message from Game 1.

“It kind of built some fire for us, honestly. Especially after last year’s loss in the regional, we got that loss out of the way earlier this year, and we’re going to take it into next weekend,” said Dillon Hoselton, son of Rick and Stephanie Hoselton.

Four errors hurt the Wolverines, and Pagosa Springs pitcher Caden Henderson did a bit of everything. He picked up the win on the mound and jacked a three-run homer to set the tone early.

“We get in an inning like that and a game like, it’s really a confidence-builder,” Pagosa Springs head coach Jimmy Fait said. “I think the kids felt like ‘we can finish this.’”

The Wovlerines didn’t make it easy. Trailing 6-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, they pushed a run across when Matthew Knickerbocker drove Anthony Chamblee in on a fielder’s choice. Zane Phelps then walked, bringing up BHS catcher Kelton McCoy, who has hit 10 homers this season. But he popped out to the catcher, and Brody McGhehey struck out to end the game and a 12-game winning streak for the Wolverines.

Hoselton provided Bayfield’s brightest spot at the plate, hitting his second home run of the season.

“It’s actually my second one ever, so it’s pretty special to me,” Hoselton said.

Bayfield’s entire lineup showed up in Game 2 and stuck around for a while. The Wolverines’ 26 runs were the second-most they’d scored in a game this season.

BHS scored in all four innings it batted in and batted around in three of them.

Leading 8-4 heading into the bottom of the third inning, 16 Wolverines paraded to the plate, producing 11 runs to put the game away.

Matthew Knickerbocker hit his fifth home run of the season during the barrage.

“I’m not a power hitter,” said Knickerbocker, son of Kirk and Marie Knickerbocker. “I hit for average, normally, but sometimes I can get a hold of one like I did (Saturday).”

The Wolverines didn’t take the rest of the game off, though. They pushed seven runs across in the fourth inning before Phelps shut the door. He pitched 2 1/3 inning after relieving Brody McGhehey to pick up the win.

“We just don’t have enough pitchers,” Fait said. “When we get behind like that, we lose focus.”

After putting the loss behind them, the Wolverines now can focus on the postseason. BHS was ranked No. 3 by both CHSAA and MaxPreps.com entering Saturday and had the second-most wild-card points, which are used as part of the regional seeding formula.

The Wolverines won the IML title and are assured a postseason berth, so they just need to wait until Wednesday to see where they’ll play next weekend.

“I think we could host, no doubt,” Knickerbocker said. “Just because we had one bad game, I don’t think it should hurt us to host.”

kgrabowski@durangoherald.com



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