Despite a pair of mid-game rallies, the GHS baseball team fell in back-to-back games to Delta on April 29. The two defeats moved the Cowboys to a 9-9 overall record, and a 3-5, fifth-place record in the 3A Western Slope League.
Headed into the mid-week doubleheader, the Cowboys knew they were up against a giant. The Delta Panthers entered the matchup with an undefeated, 6-0 record in the league, and boasted a dominant, 12-5 overall record. But the Cowboys showed signs of promise after dispatching Roaring Fork in a two-game series on April 26.
The Panthers started hot in the opening matchup, sending six runners home through three innings. Strong at bats from Talon Kibler and Marshall Spann pulled the Cowboys back in the fifth, but the Panthers still accelerated ahead to an 8-6 victory.
In similar fashion, Delta again stormed out of the away dugout in the second game. A standup triple scored one, and a sacrifice groundout doubled their lead heading into the bottom of the first. The Cowboys struggled against Delta’s impressive pitching, and a frigid breeze rolled in from the north, adding to the hostile environment.
Ethan Pierce started to find his rhythm on the mound in the second. The junior righthander earned two strikeouts to open the inning. But the Panthers were relentless at the dish. Delta’s wheels creaked to a start with two outs on the board, scoring five runs after a pair of doubles and a triple.
The Cowboys started to chip away at the mountain in front of them in the second. Kahne Chiappini started a two-out rally with a drive to left field. The GHS batters then put together a streak of smart at-bats to capitalize. Cody Casebolt walked, and Landon Miller reached on a hit-by-pitch to load the bases. Pierce brought home Chiappini with a walk, moving the score to 7-1 at the top of the third.
Buckhanan relieved Pierce in the third, and only let an RBI single slip through the gaps. The Cowboys again scrapped back at the plate. Buckhanan fired a single down the third-base line, and Marshall Spann split the infield with a single to center field. Then, with two outs and a full count, Cody Casebolt jumped on a high fastball, shooting it over the left fielder's mitt and off the wall. The double brought home two, and whittled down the Panthers’ lead to 7-3.
Delta extended the lead again in the fourth, and despite a brief comeback, the away bats proved insurmountable. The contest ended 13-6 for the Panthers.
GHS will return to the diamond in an away doubleheader against Aspen on May 3, before returning home on May 10 to face Moffat County.
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@gunnisontimes.com.)
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here