Back-to-back losses to open the 2017 season didn’t break the Durango Demons.
After falling 5-0 Friday to Cherokee Trail (2-1), a top Class 5A team, and 2-0 to Class 5A Rampart (2-1) on Saturday morning, the Durango High School girls soccer team left Colorado Springs with a 4-0 win against Class 5A Coronado to open the season with a 1-2 overall record.
“The goal was just making sure we came back to Durango with growth and a win to show how we got better over time,” DHS head coach Dalon Parker said. “We are still a ways from where we want to be, but hopefully this weekend helps the girls understand how hard we need to work and what we are capable of achieving as a team.”
Payton Floyd scored two goals for DHS in the win against Coronado. Livi Curmano and Jael Larson each scored one goal.
DHS will face another Class 5A team next Friday against Cherry Creek at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Savannah Kaufmann scored four goals, and the Wolverines rolled past Center 7-1 in its season opener.
“The first game you never really know what to expect, especially after being under snow for more than a week,” BHS head coach Jen Zelinski said. “We didn’t know what to expect from the other team, either.”
Makenna Cowan added two goals for BHS, and Sophie Turner added one.
Kailee Millard was in goal for the Wolverines. She played a strong game along with the defensive back line. The lone Center (0-1) goal came on a second-half penalty kick. Millard got her gloves on the shot but couldn’t slow it enough to keep a clean sheet.
BHS (1-0) scored 15 minutes into the match after hitting the crossbar a few times.
The Wolverines will play 4 p.m. Tuesday at home against Pagosa Springs. BHS will play seven of its nine home games in the first seven games of the season.
“There are some positives and negatives to that,” Zelinski said. “It’s nice to get rolling at home, and the girls are pumped to play at home. It’s a bummer to be on the road the last half of the season, but that all flips next year.”
Baseball
BaseballDurango High School got an early look at a team it will see at least two more times this season.
In its final game of the Farmington Invitational at Ricketts Park in Farmington, th Demons lost by one run for the third time in as many games and days.
This time, it was Southwestern League rival Montrose (1-2) that beat the Demons, 9-8. Durango (0-3) dropped two previous games by identical 3-2 scores to Belen, New Mexico, and Littleton. Both of those losses came in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“Seems to be a theme,” DHS head coach Eric Baker said of the one-run losses.
Each team had 12 hits. The Demons got quality innings on the mound out of Tre’Von Martinez, Luke Napier and Dakota Padoven. But the Indians strung hits together in the second and fourth innings to score four and five runs, respectively.
DHS scored one run in the top of the first inning for a third consecutive game. Mark Lamoreaux led off with a triple and came around to score. DHS scored two more in the second, one in the third and two in each of the fifth and sixth innings to cut the deficit to one run. But a scoreless seventh inning preserved the Montrose win.
Kegan D’Aleo went 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs batted in out of the ninth spot in the lineup. Dawson Marcum also had two RBIs and scored twice while going 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk. Peyton Woolverton, Max Hyson and Padoven each had an RBI. Jacob Bourdon went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Padoven was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
“We got the tying run on second but couldn’t push it across,” Baker said. “We saw positives all around and hit the ball well. Montrose just swung it a little better.”
DHS will return to Ricketts Park on Thursday to play Piedra Vista in the first round of its tournament. That game is scheduled for 2 p.m.
“Unfortunately, life doesn’t get a whole lot easier next week,” Baker said. “It’s nice to play PV, because we know what they’re gonna be. Always a good club.”
Bayfield had its season-opening doubleheader against Sargent rescheduled for May because of field conditions. The Wolverines will try again next Saturday at Gunnison.
Girls Lacrosse
Girls LacrosseJoie Raybourn scored a pair of goals for the Demons in a tough trip to Colorado Springs.
After falling 20-0 to Air Academy in the season opener, the Durango High School girls lacrosse team dropped an 18-2 game at Liberty on Saturday.
It was a learning trip for a young Demons squad against two quality teams from the Front Range.
The Demons will get back to work in practice before a trip to face Summit and Steamboat Springs next Friday and Saturday, respectively.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
