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Bayfield baseball falls 5-4 to University in 10-inning game spanning two days

BHS baseball loses 10-inning game spanning two days

Two days, two fields, one game.

That was the equation the Bayfield High School baseball team tried to solve in the opening round of the eight-team CHSAA Class 3A state baseball tournament.

After Colter McMenimen scored the game-tying run in the seventh inning Friday on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Zane Phelps, the Wolverines forced extra innings against University High School with the game tied at 4.

That’s when a third weather delay postponed the rest of the game until Saturday morning, and the Wolverines departed Frederick High School for Butch Butler Field in Greeley.

“The fact we’re traveling eight hours, getting in hotels, switching hotels, switching fields, it’s been pretty tough,” BHS head coach Jonathon Qualls said. “Just about every other team up here is within an hour or two drive. It’s a tough road for our guys, but we have a mentally tough group that has handled it OK.”

BHS (18-4) battled through two scoreless innings and couldn’t find any runs in the top of the 10th inning. In the bottom of the 10th, Paul Medina of University (16-6) delivered the game-winning single to give his team a 5-4 win.

“We hit the ball pretty hard but right at people. We just didn’t string together the hits,” Qualls said of the three innings played Saturday.

Phelps pitched all three innings Saturday in relief of Matthew Knickerbocker, who was marvelous outside of one bad inning in seven innings of work Friday.

The Wolverines lived to fight another day, even with the loss, as the tournament is a double-elimination format. BHS will face Valley High School at 9:30 a.m. Monday back at Butch Butler Field in Greeley.

That won’t be until after the Wolverines’ seniors travel back to the opposite corner of the state for graduation Sunday at Bayfield High School.

“The six seniors left here right after the game and will graduate Sunday before heading back up here Sunday night,” Qualls said. “You don’t really have a choice. It’s something we have to deal with and move on, but it’s hard to have 10 guys sitting up here for two days without anything to do and then six guys traveling all the way across the state.

“Keeping the guys mentally focused is the big problem.”

It all adds up to another marathon weekend for the Wolverines leading into Monday’s must-win game.

Valley (14-8) dropped to the loser’s bracket after playing its own 10-inning contest in the first round - a 12-9 loss to Sterling (14-7).

“They have solid defense and will hit the ball and score some runs. We are going to have to try to keep up and push runs across,” Qualls said of Monday morning’s matchup. “Every team up here is solid, and there won’t be many blowouts.

“We have guys that know what it’s like to come from a tough position in a bracket, especially the basketball guys who did it this year. I hope they carry that experience through and bring intensity Monday.”

jlivingston@durangoherald.com



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