Eleven to zero sounded good to the Durango Demons this week.
For the second time in as many games, the Durango High School baseball team beat rival Montezuma-Cortez 11-0 on Friday in Cortez. The result mirrored Tuesday’s 11-0 win in Durango.
This time, it was Dylan Carlson pitching a shutout for the Demons (5-5, 2-0 4A/5A Southwestern League). He allowed only four hits and struck out 11 batters in five innings.
“The pitching was great, and the bats were still hot,” DHS head coach Eric Baker said.
Kyle Duran had a home run in the game. It was a blast to left center field.
“The wind was blowing out, but he really got into it,” Baker said.
Also coming through with triples were Mark Lamoreaux, Lawrence Mayberry, Dakota Padoven and Tyler Ruetschle. Lamoreaux ended up scoring on his triple after the Panthers (3-7, 0-2 SWL) were slow getting the ball in from the outfield. Padoven also added a double.
Mayberry was 3-for-3 in the game with three runs scored and one run batted in. Max Hyston went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Ruetchscle also drove in town runs.
Beating a regional rival twice in a week was another confidence booster for the Demons.
“Not just the score, but the way we’re swinging the bats has been big,” Baker said. “We’re getting a lot of kids and up and down the lineup squaring balls up. When we’ve struggled, it’s been with the bats, so this has been a great week.”
Durango has won three games in a row, but competition will get tougher next week with home games against Class 5A Grand Junction Central (5-4, 10 SWL) on Friday and Saturday.
“We need to maintain the good defense and good pitching and get quality at-bats,” Baker said. “When the kids put it together, we’ve done all those things. If we keep doing them we will be pretty tough and competitive.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
