Behind dominant pitching from cousins Gage and Niko Mestas and continued power hitting in the clutch, the Durango High School baseball team went on the road Saturday and swept a league doubleheader at No. 10 Montrose.
The Demons (9-0, 4-0 5A/4A Southwestern League) used a complete-game effort from Gage Mestas for a 7-2 win in Game 1. Niko Mestas pitched five strong innings in a 12-3 win in Game 2 before Cal Walsh closed out the final two frames of the day.
“They’re both real competitive and threw well,” DHS head coach Rob Coddington said of his two starting pitchers. “Gage had a no-hitter going into the sixth and was cruising along until the sixth when we had a few mishaps. We misplayed a couple flyballs with the wind howling, but we reeled it back in and played tight the rest of way.
“Credit our defense behind both of our guys with no errors today. It’s a great showing. Guys were laying out, knocking balls down and preventing extra runs from scoring. Niko did a great job. The second game got a little hot as far as the competition goes, but everyone settled back down and kept it in our dugout, which was good.”
Elias Fiddler’s sensational season at the plate continued Saturday at Montrose (5-4, 0-4 SWL). In the Game 2 victory, he had a three-run double in the second inning to go with a solo home run in the fourth. It was his team-high fifth homer of the season. In Game 1, junior Jordan Stanley starred at the plate with two big doubles. Chase Robertson had a huge day, as he went 6-for-7 at the plate in the two games combined in a week in which he also hit his first two career varsity homers.
“Jordan and Elias are both doing a great job up there,” Coddington said. “Elias was a little off in Game 1, but he made adjustments on off-speed pitching in Game 2 and hit a homer off the scoreboard. Jordan has kept a nice approach, and Chase had another huge day to cap off a really strong week.”
Game 1 winner Gage Mestas struck out 12, walked two and allowed only four hits – all singles – in his seven innings of work. Both Montrose runs came in the sixth on RBI singles from Jaxon Kattner and David Dominguez.
Fiddler started a two-out rally in the first inning when he was hit by a pitch. Cleanup hitter Jordan Stanley then belted an RBI double to get the Demons out to an early 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, Robertson led off with a single and then stole second base. He would score on an RBI single by nine-hole hitter Jack Benner.
DHS plated three in the third inning. Cal Walsh led off with a single and would score on an error. Stanley would double and come around to score on a Robertson single.
The Demons tacked on one more run in the fifth, as Stanley led off with a walk and scored on a Niko Mestas double.
For good measure, DHS added to its 5-2 lead with two runs in the seventh. Ben Finneseth singled and then stole second, and he scored on a double from Thomas Barnes. Gage Mestas then reached on an error that allowed Barnes to score.
In Game 2, Niko Mestas took control on the mound after giving up two runs in the first inning. He allowed three runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out four.
Walsh struck out three in his two innings of relief work, allowing only one hit and no walks.
“Cal does a real nice job. He stays even keel and is just a good kid,” Coddington said. “He has tremendous talent and has a good mentality for closing games. He comes in and goes after people and makes quick work. It was nice to see him do that in a few games this week.”
DHS had a monster second inning in Game 2 to send 10 batters to the plate. Stanley had a leadoff base hit and scored on a Robertson single later in the inning. A Ty Martinez single would score Robertson, and Fiddler would hit his big three-run double to close a six-run inning.
In the third, Niko Mestas singled before a Robertson double and then scored on a Barnes sacrifice fly. Robertson would score on a Montrose error.
Fiddler’s solo homer came in the fourth, and DHS plated three more runs in the fifth behind good base running and an RBI single from Stanley.
Montrose was fired up after scoring the two runs in the first inning. Nolin Boone doubled in a run and scored in the game, and Dominguez had another RBI single.
DHS showed its composure and maturity and will now return home this week to host Aztec at 3 p.m. Tuesday before a Saturday home league doubleheader with Grand Junction Central (2-4, 1-1 SWL).
“Our guys know we have to stay focused,” Coddington said. “We’re in a different situation than normal because most of our kids already graduated high school and are not going to classes right now. It’s situational type things they need to stay on top of like going to workouts and working hard at practice. But we have the right kids with the right mentality.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
