There was little joy, and less surprise in Bay-ville when senior Casey Dunlap hit one out.
But the visiting Durango team's cheers were hushed when "Mighty Casey's" first-inning mash was matched in the inning's home half by Bayfield's "Big Mac."
And the purple pack never looked back in downing the Demons, 7-4 Tuesday afternoon at Wolverine Field.
The teams moved up a spot to #3 in the previous day's new CHSAANow.com Class 3A rankings, following last Saturday's 14-0, 16-0 mauling of Monte Vista in Intermountain League road work.
BHS improved to 15-2 overall (6-0 IML.) Junior Kelton McCoy's two-run bomb to left in the initial inning gave the locals a 3-1 lead to guard.
Senior Matthew Knickerbocker retired 10 of the 11 DHS batters immediately after McCoy's homer. That included a pop-up to senior second baseman Dillon Hoselton his next time up in the guests' fourth inning.
McCoy (3-4, R, 4 RBI) struck again in the bottom of the third after Knickerbocker and junior 4-man Zane Phelps both walked against Durango junior Lawrence Mayberry and gained another base. Junior DHS catcher Zach Szura allowed a Mayberry delivery to slither through, and McCoy hit an opposite-field single to right to pad the advantage to 5-1.
McCoy, the Wolverine catcher, then improved to 3-for-3 during Bayfield's next at-bat with a wicked one-hopper off senior third baseman Hayden Sill's shoulder. Lead runner Knickerbocker was only able to reach third as the ricochet zipped past, but he would score the side's second run in the bottom of the fourth when junior Taed Heydinger (3-4) was able to reach on a bases-loaded E-5 off the unlucky Sill's glove.
The Demons (6-11, 2-6 4A/5A Southwestern) finally put their second run on the scoreboard in the sixth inning when designated hitter Christopher Jaworsky's sacrifice-fly to center brought home Mayberry.
After two more runs by the Demons, Wolverine Coach Jon Qualls elected to put Phelps on the bump to face Jaworsky.
Working low and away to Durango's left-handed senior designated hitter, Phelps brought an end to the La Plata County non-league varsity teams' first meeting since Bayfield ace pitcher Clay Miller squared off against dominant Demon Joe Brennan at DHS in 2012.
Knickerbocker and Phelps each went 1-2 with an RBI and two runs, and each drew two bases-on-balls, but Heydinger's sixth-inning single was the only hit off Demon reliever Drew Selser.
Senior 9-hole hitter Colter McMenimen was 1-4 with a run, as was junior 2-man Brody McGhehey.
Up next for the Wolverines will be their regular season-ending doubleheader tomorrow versus Pagosa Springs (6-10, 1-5 IML) beginning at 11 a.m.
YA BETTER RECOGNIZE: Bayfield Baseball was featured statewide this past week, with CHSAANow.com's Brian Miller writing a piece available at http://chsaanow.com/2015-04-24/bayfield-baseball-out-to-prove-itself-after-disappointing-exit-last-spring/
THIS WEEK'S TOP TEN (first-place votes): 1.Eaton (6), 2.Lamar (3), 3.BAYFIELD (1), 4.Manitou Springs, 5.Greeley University, 6.Brush, 7.Sterling, 8.Gunnison, 9.Arvada Faith Christian, 10.Gilcrest Valley.
