An early hole proved too deep for Durango High School baseball to climb out of Friday in the Grand Valley.
Needing wins down the stretch to keep its slim postseason hopes alive, DHS fell victim to a big first inning by Fruita Monument, eventually falling 14-6 in the Southwestern League road game.
Fruita Monument took advantage of an error and four walks while busting out the bats to pull ahead 8-1 after the first inning against DHS and starting pitcher Jeremy Szura.
Durango eventually cut it to 11-6 in the fourth inning but could get no closer against the Wildcats’ Conner Cronkhite and Doran Wood. Cronkhite picked up the win by allowing six runs and seven hits in four innings.
“They had a guy on the mound that’s beat us twice now throwing real soft. We just couldn’t string hits together against him,” DHS head coach Rob Coddington said. “Spotted them a little too many at the beginning of the game and just couldn’t catch up.”
Blake Dunlap went 3-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored, and Szura was 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and two driven in for the Demons (7-9, 2-5 SWL). Ty Elliott also went 2-for-3.
Coddington said one of the bright spots was the pitching performance of freshman reliever Lawrence Mayberry, who allowed one unearned run in two innings while striking out a pair. The DHS skipper said he threw the freshman out there both to switch things up and save other key pitchers for Saturday’s game against Grand Junction Central as DHS looks to end a string that’s seen the Demons lose five of their last six games.
“Little bit of both to be honest with you,” Coddington said. “Trying to keep Ty Elliott and Ben Wiley ready for (Saturday) and also trying to look for a spark out there.
“We just didn’t hit after that.”
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
