BAYFIELD – The Wolverines did all they needed to secure two big wins to open league play Wednesday. One game was final, but Bayfield and Pagosa Springs had to wait until Thursday to find out if the second game of a doubleheader was complete.
With the Bayfield High School baseball team leading 11-4 after six innings, play was suspended because of darkness. Rules set forth by the Colorado High School Activities Association dictate the game could be resumed at the earliest possible time if one or both teams wished to complete the full seven innings. If the teams mutually agreed to call it a complete game after six innings, the score would be allowed to go final.
But, after the umpires made the right decision to call the game after the sixth Wednesday, it appeared the Pagosa Springs Pirates wanted to complete the game another day, and there was no mutual agreement. School athletic directors discussed the matter Thursday morning and determined the game would be a final at 11-4, and the final inning would not be played.
The Wolverines (5-2, 2-0 3A Intermountain League) won Game 1 of the doubleheader 12-2 in a mercy-rule five innings behind the pitching of Hayden Farmer and patient hitters at the plate. Game 2 was much of the same, as starting pitcher Michael Gettman pitched stronger as the game went on, and the Wolverines wore out the base paths with 10 stolen bases and several more bases claimed on defensive indifference. BHS walked or was hit by a pitch 14 times in Game 2 and another eight times in the first game.
“I would like to see them work even more and work to where they actually see a good pitch,” new Bayfield coach Danny Petrie said. “Take advantage and steal as many bases as we can. Execute the small game.”
Leadoff hitter Jake Brandon totaled five stolen bases in the two games. All of the base stealing in Game 2 was aided by the fact Pagosa Springs starting catcher Bryce Raymond exited Game 1 after being hit in the back of the neck with a pitch in the fifth inning. He entered the concussion protocol and did not return.
But Bayfield still totaled four stolen bases in that first game.
Farmer got the win in Game 1. In four innings of work, he had seven strikeouts and two walks and allowed two walks and three hits.
Gettman pitched five-plus innings in Game 2 for the win. He struck out six and walked three and hit one batter with a pitch. He gave up only three hits.
“Hayden, great pitcher, but he had an off-day,” BHS catcher Austin Bushnell said. “Gettman, great fastball pitcher. He got much stronger. Honestly, the first part for both guys was nerves. They got those shaken out.”
Bayfield’s bats didn’t get going in the first game until the second inning. Brandon drove in two runs with a single, and Max McGhehey had a run batted in on a double out of the seven-spot in the lineup. McGhehey went 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored to go with the RBI double.
BHS added two more runs in the third inning thanks to a Pagosa Springs error and an RBI on a fielder’s choice by Kirk Malone.
The bulk of the damage was done in the fourth inning in which the Wolverines sent 11 batters to the plate. Brandon had a two-run single and Malone and Andrew Morgan had RBI singles.
The game ended in the bottom of the fifth when Bushnell scored from second base on an error by the Pirates’ infield. It gave BHS a 12-2 win.
The top of the lineup was red-hot for the Wolverines in Game 2. After going down 3-0, Bayfield roared back in the third inning with four runs. Farmer blasted a two-run double to the left field fence. McGhehey also drove in two runs with a single.
“I felt really good up there,” McGhehey said. “I had four RBIs off two hits, and that feels really good.”
Bayfield added five more runs in the fifth inning, as Brandon had a two-run single, Bushnell doubled home Farmer with a blast to the left field wall, and Malone came up with an RBI single. Morgan added an RBI in the sixth inning.
The Pirates fell to 5-4 overall and 0-2 in the IML with the losses.
It was a strong start to league play for a young Wolverines team that wants to prove it is still the team to beat in the IML. Next up for BHS is a doubleheader Saturday at Montezuma-Cortez. Game 1 is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
