Zane Phelps’ year keeps getting better.
The senior on the Bayfield High School baseball team threw a perfect game in a 10-0 win over the Centauri Falcons in six innings in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader. The Wolverines also won the second game 12-2.
Phelps recorded 11 strikeouts and didn’t allow a base runner in the shutout. He averaged two strikeouts per inning until the top of the sixth when he struck out one batter.
“It feels good, but I’m more excited about the win and how well we played defense,” said Phelps, son of Dion and Koel Phelps. “We came out and hit the ball (Tuesday). We’re trying to get into the groove right in time for the playoffs.”
Bayfield (13-4, 6-0 3A Intermountain League) had 13 hits and didn’t commit an error in the field in Game 1.
At the plate, Phelps not only drove in the two winning runs in the bottom of the sixth with a single, but he went 4-for-4 with a run and two stolen bases, too.
“We’re just out here having fun. We want to be relaxed,” Phelps said.
Fred Edwards, who hit in the sixth spot for Bayfield, went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Kelton McCoy went 1-for-3 including a triple with two RBIs.
Centauri pitcher Chris Martin held Bayfield to two hits and no runs through two innings, but the Wolverines chipped away at Martin and built a 4-0 lead going into the fifth. Bayfield broke the game open with four consecutive runs with Edwards, Noah Loutherback, McCoy and Phelps all scoring.
Martin finished with four strikeouts and allowed four runs on six hits before getting pulled after the fourth.
Game 2 saw more of the same from Bayfield, only this time it was McCoy who was on the mound for the Wolverines. The senior allowed two early Centauri runs in the first inning. Martin led off with a single, and Tim Engel drew a walk, and they both came around to score.
“I was hoping to match that perfect game, but the first batter got a hit,” said McCoy, son of Derek and Loresa McCoy. “But hats off to Zane, he pitched one heck of a game. It doesn’t happen very often. I was just trying to throw strikes and have my defense play behind me, and it worked out well.”
After McCoy settled down, there was nothing Centauri (5-9, 2-2 IML) could do, as McCoy matched Phelps with 11 strikeouts of his own.
“I started to throw my two-seam fastball with a little run on the inside, and I had enough pop to get in on their hands, and when they hit it it was a little blooper,” McCoy said. “I left a couple balls up in the first inning and made the adjustment.”
It wasn’t an easy day for Centauri hitters with 22 strikeouts to two hits.
After a dominating day on the mound, Bayfield showed it might have enough to carry these seniors to another postseason push.
“We might not have one guy who can throw 95, but we have four or five guys that can really pitch, so I think that’s intimidating for opposing teams,” McCoy said. “We can roll four guys out there that are tough to hit; that’s hard on a well-hitting team.”
McCoy was also a monster at the plate, as he went 3-for-3 with four runs, two triples and two RBIs in Game 2. Edwards also had another nice game. He went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and a run. Austin Bushnell went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Phelps didn’t have quite the game he had to begin Tuesday. He finished the second game 0-for-3 with one run scored.
Bayfield’s next opponent will be Pagosa Springs (2-9, 0-2 IML). The Wolverines will travel to play the Pirates for a season-ending doubleheader that will start at 11 a.m. Saturday.
jmentzer@durangoherald.com
