The Bayfield High School baseball team’s bats showed up in its first game of the Hampton Inn Tiger Baseball Classic Friday in La Junta.
The Wolverines began the tournament with a 22-7 win against Pueblo’s Dolores Huerta Prep, ending the contest under the 15-run mercy rule with one out in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded in the fourth, Isaac Ross drew a walk to bring in the final run and give BHS a walk-off win.
BHS led 2-1 after one inning, but exploded for eight runs in the second and 10 in the third to go up 20-3. Dolores Huerta responded with four runs in the top of the fourth, but the Wolverines plated two in their half of the inning to end the game early.
Lots of Wolverines had good days at the plate to get the victory.
Caden Wood went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles. He also walked once, scored three runs and drove in three runs.
Nic Twedt went 2-for-2 with a pair of triples. He also walked three times, scored three runs and had an RBI.
Austin Twedt went 1-for-2, but walked once and was beaned twice, scoring three runs and driving one run in.
Noah Chamblee went 1-for-1, with an RBI. He was walked twice and hit once by a pitch.
Ross walked four times, scored twice and drove in two runs, including a sacrifice fly.
Wood was the winning pitcher, giving up one run and two hits in two innings while striking out five. Cam Stringfellow took the loss for Dolores Huerta after Bayfield scored 10 runs, 3 earned, in 1.1 innings.
All told, three Scorpions issued 14 walks and plunked five Wolverines – effectively surrendering 19 free singles – while fanning only four.
With Bayfield head coach Bert Miller unable to make the trip, his son, and former Wolverine ace lefty Clay Miller, took the reigns and earned his first win as a head coach.
The Wolverines improved to 6-2 overall with the win. Dolores Huerta Prep slipped to 1-3.
Bayfield also was scheduled to play Fort Morgan at 6 p.m. Friday in the tournament’s second round. Fort Morgan beat La Junta 11-6 to start the tournament. The other side of the bracket includes Lamar, Pueblo East, Sterling and Coronado battling in nearby Swink.
The Wolverines originally were scheduled to play at 10:30 a.m. Friday, but bad weather Thursday forced other games to be postponed until Friday, bumping Bayfield’s contest back to 1:30 p.m. and delaying the semifinals.
The championship is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, after the third-place game at 11:30 a.m.
