Two Casey Dunlap home runs weren’t enough for the Durango Demons to overcome the Palisade Bulldogs and one tough call at home plate.
Dunlap hit a pair of solo homers, but the Durango High School baseball team (4-6, 0-2 Southwestern League) couldn’t generate enough hits to keep up with Palisade (10-2) in a 9-5 home loss Tuesday at Walden Memorial Field.
“I was feeling pretty good and seeing the ball pretty well,” Dunlap said. “Just wish we would get into the game a little bit sooner instead of having to fight back in the end.”
Dunlap tried to start fast, with his first shot coming in the bottom of the first inning. He turned a low and inside fastball into a line drive that carried to the swing sets at adjacent Rank Park behind the left centerfield fence. Once it left the bat, there was no hope for the Palisade outfield.
“Been hitting the weight room a little bit,” Dunlap said.
That homer cut the Palisade lead to 2-1 after one inning, after the Bulldogs scored two runs thanks to two walks and a two-run double off the bat of catcher Andrew Bowles.
DHS starting pitcher Lawrence Mayberry executed two perfect pickoff attempts at first base to get two outs and avoid major damage in the first two innings after walking three.
Mayberry looked to be out of another jam in the top of the third inning. Looking to escape down only 3-1, a call at home plate went against the Demons and continued a big five-run inning for the Bulldogs.
Mayberry issued a lead-off walk to Isaac Maestas, who came around to score on a passed ball. With no outs and runners on first and third base, Mayberry got three-hole hitter Matt Seriani to pop out to the catcher, Zach Szura, for the first out of the inning. Luis Arevalo tried to tag up from first base and take second, and Szura fired a throw up the middle of the field. When Palisade’s Easton Woods took off from third base heading for home, Dunlap cut Szura’s throw off at shortstop and threw to the plate, where Mayberry was covering home ready to tag Woods.
Woods leaped out of the baseline around the attempted tag by Mayberry, which looked to touch Woods’ left arm. Woods never touched the plate and sat feet away from home. Mayberry showed the ball in his glove to the umpire, who signaled that Woods was safe. After some brief confusion, Mayberry again tagged Woods, and then the umpire ruled Woods out.
Palisade head coach Aaron Howard successfully argued that his player had been ruled safe and subsequently had stopped playing. After seeking council from the rest of the crew, the home-plate umpire informed DHS head coach Eric Baker that the runner was going to be ruled safe, the run would count and that no out would be recorded.
“Frankly, he was out at the plate,” Baker said. “I don’t know how you make a different call other than he’s out, but that’s how it works.”
Instead of a 3-1 game with two outs and a runner on third, it became a 4-1 game with one out and a base-runner on third.
“That takes a lot of pressure off the offense. At the plate with a man on third and one out, there’s a lot less pressure than trying to score him with two outs,” Baker said. “But we can’t dwell on it. It wasn’t the run that blew things open. Palisade had timely hits and took advantage of the chances they got.”
Woods pitched a complete game for Palisade, striking out three without issuing a walk. He allowed only four hits, including the two Dunlap homers.
He worked four pitches – fastball, curveball, slider and changeup – with ease, using his curveball to keep DHS guessing most of the game.
“It was a good time throwing all those curves, but that (Dunlap) kid hit me pretty hard,” Woods said.
Bowles, who was on the receiving end of Woods’ pitching, was thrilled with his starting pitcher’s effort. “It was great. Everything was working, and the hitters were guessing,” Bowles said. “To come down to Durango and walk away with a W is a great experience for us as a team, and it’s great preparation for the playoffs.”
Dunlap relieved Mayberry after the starter lasted four innings. Mayberry walked four and hit a batter while giving up seven hits. He struck out one.
Baker felt Mayberry was squeezed a bit on balls and strikes on the mound, too.
“The first inning he had two walks and they scored two runs, but boy those pitches looked awful close,” Baker said. “They were nipping at the plate, and I thought he pitched pretty well.”
Dunlap, son of Aaron and Julie Dunlap, allowed two hits and two runs – one earned – in three innings of work. He struck out two.
DHS will look to end a three-game losing streak at 3:30 p.m. Friday at home against Montrose (7-2, 0-1 SWL).
“We have to keep positive and keep grinding. It’s important for the league if we want to stay in it and get to where we want to go,” Baker said of the upcoming games. “We have to scratch out some wins, no doubt about it.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
