BLOOMFIELD, N.M. – The Durango High School baseball team started strong against Bloomfield on Thursday, but had a hard time getting out of a couple innings and eventually lost the contest, 17-7.
“We’re showing positive signs, but we have to string it together,” said DHS head coach Rob Coddington. “We keep putting ourselves into a hole.”
Freshman right-handed pitcher Jack England started on the mound for DHS. After walking the first two batters he faced on full counts, he got a fly out and a strikeout and nearly got out of the inning unscathed. A throwing error, however, helped two runs score and then Bloomfield plated a third with a single.
“Defensively, we’re not making plays when we need to,” Coddington said. “We need to start trying to make a play instead of trying not to make a mistake.”
The Demons fought back and tied the contest in the second inning.
Devin Davidovich walked and then Liam Southerland and Tanner Coddington both singled to load the bases. JJ Hoerl brought two runners in with a double to deep left-center. Then Matt Pane laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring Coddington home and tie the game, 3-3.
England retired the Bobcats in order in the bottom half of the inning. The coach said the freshman has been improving and “gave us a chance to win.”
Jordan Stanley then ripped a solo home run over the left field fence to lead off the third and give DHS a 4-3 lead.
Bloomfield, however, blew the game open in the fourth inning, sending 15 batters to the plate and scoring 11 runs. Blake Spencer tripled down the left field line and scored on a Mark Armenta sacrifice fly to tie the game at 4-4. After an infield single and a walk, AJ Folk relieved England with two runners on. Dale Maes greeted him with a bunt down the third base line, bringing in one run while beating the throw to first.
Later in the inning, Francisco Rivera smacked a three-run double down the left field line, putting Bloomfield up, 9-4. The Bobcats then used a bloop, a couple walks, a single and a liner to add to their lead and go up by 10.
The Demons responded with three runs in the top of the fifth, beginning the inning with three straight singles from Gavin Hamlin, Brady Hansen and a 2-RBI base hit from Davidovich. Tagert Bardin ran for Davidovich, stealing second and third and then scoring on a dropped third strike.
Lane Greenlee relieved Folk in the fifth, but Bloomfield was able to score three runs off him to end the contest with the 10-run mercy rule, 17-7.
The Demons slipped to 1-8 overall with the loss. Bloomfield improved to 9-4.
Durango will play its 10th straight game away from home to begin its season on Saturday at Delta (3-1).
DHS will play its first home game at 2 p.m. on Tuesday against Alamosa (1-2).
