Having seen their eight-game winning streak snapped by a six-run loss in the first of two home games Tuesday, the Ignacio Bobcats bounced back in a big way and not only split a doubleheader with 2A/1A San Juan Basin League rival Nucla but in the process clinched a third straight SJBL title.
Exploding on the Mustangs for 12 runs right out of the gate in the second game at IHS Field, the ’Cats didn’t need long to atone for a 7-1 loss with a four-inning 15-0 win – giving Ignacio a 4-1 league record with just a single game Monday versus Dove Creek remaining among eight total regular-season contests.
According to available figures, IHS (10-5 overall) held NHS (6-9-1, 2-4 SJBL) to just one hit, issued just four bases-on-balls and plunked two batters. Defeated twice in three games against Ignacio, the Mustangs also reached base three times via fielder’s choice and at least once via error, but couldn’t bring any runners around the hot corner and across home plate.
Neither team scored for the first three innings of game one before Nucla scratched out two runs in the top of the fourth. The guests then added one in the fifth and two more in the sixth before Ignacio got on the board in the bottom of the inning. NHS, however, answered with two more runs in the top of the seventh in dealing the Bobcats their first SJBL loss this spring.
Nucla senior Steele Arnold earned the win on the mound as he worked six innings and struck out 10 ’Cats while walking none (but tagging two), and also went 3-for-5 offensively with one run and two batted in. Sophomore Brycen Rummel (IP, BB, 2 K) went 2-5 with a run and one RBI, and senior Joseph Casillas finished 0-1 with three walks and one RBI.
IHS’ statistics from both games had not been fully tallied and reported as of press time.
Up next, Ignacio is scheduled to travel out to nonleague Sargent on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
WOLVERINES AT HOME: Bayfield will resume 3A Intermountain work on Saturday with two home games against Pagosa Springs. Most recently, BHS welcomed 2A San Juan from Blanding, Utah on the 22nd. After falling behind 8-1 heading into their second-inning at-bat, the Wolverines (6-11 overall, 3-1 IML) fell 10-6 to the Broncos (15-5 overall).
Bayfield junior Sean Ryan went 2-4 with a run and two RBI in defeat, while junior Micah Cornelia and sophomore Tavian Box each went 1-4 with a double, run and RBI.
