The Durango High School softball team couldn’t find a way past Grand Junction and dropped both games of a doubleheader with the Tigers 14-4 and 12-2 to start the Southwestern League schedule today at DHS.
“We had errors on defense and there were a couple of innings we should have got out of, but didn’t,” Durango head coach Melissa Fundora said of the first game. “We had some opportunities at the plate but didn’t take advantage of them. There was a bit of that in both games and the girls fought hard. There were some positives to take away but there were definitely some things we need to work on.”
The Demons (7-4, 0-2 Southwestern League) cleaned up the defense in the second game, but the Tigers (6-7, 2-0) found a way to hurt them at the plate with big innings in the third and fourth.
In the second game, Durango starting pitcher Morgan Allen, kept Grand Junction off balance with her off-speed pitches and a slower fastball than the Tigers were used to. But after the Tigers saw Allen’s speed a couple of times they got their timing down and began peppering the outfield with singles and doubles to the gap, along with a couple home runs.
“Her speed in general is probably slower than what they’re used to,” Fundora said of Allen. “With her speed and off-speed, it’s huge asset against these teams who see fast pitchers all the time. With her fast pitches being a little slower and her off-speed, it keeps them way off balance. They just haven’t seen it and she did a great job with it.”
Grand Junction took a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a solo home run to left field by Haeleigh Harris.
The Tigers added to their lead in the third with two-run home runs from Hannah Hutto and Alexia Thompson, then got an RBI single from Rylee Martin to push the lead to 6-0.
Durango, which batted in the top of the inning during the second game, cut into the deficit in the top of the fourth. After Emma Candelaria stole second base, Autumn Rymerson singled to center field to score Candelaria from second, but Rymerson was tagged out trying to stretch a double. A couple of batters later, Virginia Herr hit an RBI double to make it 6-2.
Grand Junction added five more runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Tigers got RBIs from Kalifornia Kisselburgh and Thompson, then scored on a wild pitch, an error and had another run come in after a bases-loaded walk.
The two losses dropped the Demons into a four-game losing skid after starting the year 7-0. But there isn’t any panic or concern from the team after the four losses.
“I thought we worked really well as a team,” Allen said. “We played together. This year we’ve been really good about playing together and being a really good team.”
Durango will get a couple days to regroup and will host Montezuma-Cortez (2-4) at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at DHS.
kschneider@durangoherald.com
