SUN photo/Mike Pierce
Allison Laverty heads the ball out of trouble during Saturday’s 4-0 playoff loss to Manitou Springs. Trailing the play is Pagosa’s Kaitlyn Mastin. The Pirates’ season ended with the post-season loss.

Soccer season ends with playoff loss

The Pirates hosted a first-round Class 3A playoff match Saturday against Manitou Springs, and while they put up a good fight in the heated battle, they ended the season with a 4-0 loss.

“We were just outrun,” said Pirate Coach Lindsey Kurt-Mason. “We couldn’t match their speed.”

The Pirates trailed 2-0 at the end of the first half, and Manitou cinched the win with two more goals in the second half.

But despite the loss, Kurt-Mason had nothing but praise for his team.

“Everybody was giving it everything,” he said. “They didn’t get rattled. We held it together, we never quit.”

Kurt-Mason lauded the final performances of the seniors on the team. Lexi Johnson, he said, played a “solid” game with two runs on goal. Allison Laverty played “phenomenally” in the sweeper position and Stephanie Zenz “was always working hard.” And as for Ashley Portnell, “she played the best game of her career.

“Our seniors had a great finish,” said Kurt-Mason.

The Pirates finished the season with a 3-4-2 record.

Manitou Springs lost 6-0 to Faith Christian in second-round playoff action Tuesday.


Thursday, May 8, 2008

Photo courtesy J.D. Kurz
Megan Bryant, seen here running her leg on the Pirates’ second-place 4x400 relay team, had a great day at last week’s IML championship meet. Bryant took first place in the 800-meter run and second place in shot put. She and her Pirate teammates return to Bayfield Saturday for regional competition.

Pirate track team competes at regional meet Saturday

By Karl Isberg

Staff Writer

Pagosa track athletes competed at the Intermountain Leauge championship meet Saturday, at Bayfield. The girls’ team took second place, with 62 points; the boys were third, with 46 points.

On the girls’ side, two Pirates won top honors in events.

Megan Bryant was first in the 800-meter run, finishing with a time of 2:37.45.

Veteran distance runner Jacie Harms won the 1,600, with a time of 5:53.82.

A number of second-place finishes added points to the team total.

Jessica Low was second in high jump, leaping 5-feet even.

Megan Bryant put the shot 31 feet, 2.25 feet, good for second place.

The 4x100 relay team of Jessica Low, Kala Matzdorf, Victoria Espinoza and Camiile Rand took second, with a time of 53:89.

Rand, Espinoza, Megan Bryant and Breezy Bryant placed second in the 4x400, at 4:33.68.

Stephanie Low was third in the 100, with a time of 14.10.

Jessica Low was third in the 200, at 28.35.

Magan Kraetsch placed third in the 100 hurdles, posting a time of 20:26.

Matzdorf was third in the 300 hurdles, at 54:17.

Jessica Low, Stephanie Low, Espinoza and Casey Meekins took third place in the 4x200, finishing at 1:55.45.

Harms, Megan Brynat, Breezy Bryant and Katarina Medici were third in the 4x800, at 11:07.89.

There were two first-place finishers among the Pirate boys.

Jackson Walsh continued to show his strength in the distance events, winning the league title in the 1,600 with a time of 4:40.20.

Taylor Shaffer topped the field in the 400, with a time of 53:46.

Mike Smith was second in the 100, at 12.09 and finished third in the 200, at 24.96.

John Jewell ended competition in the triple jump in second place with a jump of 40-8.75. He was third in long jump, at 18-3.

Ryan Hamilton, Zach Lucero, Michael Gallegos and Walsh finished second in the 4x800 (9:03.86).

Hamilton took third in the 800, with a time of 2:10.75.

Mike Smith, Steven Smith, Shaffer and Jewell finished third in the 4x200 (1:38.44).

“We didn’t run a lot of our distance events at the league meet,” said Pirate coach Connie O’Donnell. “We’re trying to taper them, because we think competition this next weekend is more important. Last year, our girls finished second in the league meet and ended up the regional champions. We’re hoping to see that outcome again this year.

“We have some good boys’ relays. We’ll switch up which ones we run this next weekend to give people good chances to get to the state meet. We might have some people give up individual events this week and run in a team event to get that better chance.”

Pirates’ season ends with 1-1 playoff record

The Pagosa Springs Pirates won their first District 8 baseball playoff game last Saturday over St. Mary’s, but lost to homestanding Erie to end their attempt to reach the Class 3A “Elite Eight.”

By beating St. Mary’s 8-6, the Pirates reached the state’s top 16 3-A team level, but failed to go further.

Steven Schofield was the winning pitcher in the Pirates’ first playoff game, holding St. Mary’s to 11 hits and two walks, while striking out 10.

The win gave Schofield a 9-1 record for the 2008 season. Coach Justin Caler said, “Schofield did a great job for us. We are proud of everything he did.”

Schofield and the Pirate defense shut St. Mary’s out for the first four innings. Solid hitting enabled Pagosa to get the win.

Wes Walters scored three of the first five runs for Pagosa Springs. He had two hits in four at bats.

Also contributing two hits each were Chris Lloyd, Cole Kraetsch and Julian Caler.

St. Mary’s of Colorado Springs finished the season with a 13-7 record.

The Erie Tigers defeated Pagosa 14-4, in the district championship game after downing Monte Vista in the first round of the playoffs.

The Pirates trailed Erie 8-0 after the first two innings. As the game progressed, the Pirates did show some offense but the 10-run mercy rule applied after the fifth inning.

Julian Caler had three hits in three at bats for Pagosa. Dan Cammack had two hits in two at bats. Cary Fulton was the winning pitcher for Erie. Erie was ranked No. 2 in the state as the playoffs began.

“I think we did a great job of hitting this season,” the Pirate coach said. “We also did well advancing our base runners from first to third.”

A number of the Pirate players are expected to be named to the all-conference team in the near future. That team cannot be announced until all Intermountain league teams have finished their seasons. Bayfield, which split with the Pirates in the league championship doubleheader, won both of its District 2 games on Saturday and advanced to the “Elite Eight” this week against Faith Christian, the top ranked 3A team in the state.

The playoff split gave the Pirates a 13-7 overall record for the season. The conference record for the Pirates was 7-1.

Photo courtesy Jeff Laydon
The Pirates are on the attack against Ignacio during last week’s 4-0 win over the Bobcats. Pagosa’s Nichole Kazarinoff gets a shot on goal during second-half action. The junior played goalie in the first half. The Pirates entertain Manitou Springs Saturday in playoff action at Golden Peaks Stadium.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Pirates secure second place, will host playoffs

A win over Ignacio Friday and a loss to Bayfield Monday didn’t nudge the Pirates from their second place seat in the league, and they will host a first-round Class 3A playoff match Saturday.

The Pirates earned a sound victory on their home pitch Friday by beating Ignacio 4-0, keeping Pagosa in the second place slot. Senior Lexi Johnson scored the first goal, assisted by freshman Kassidy Smith, making the score 1-0 at the end of the first half. Ignacio made no shots on goalie Nichole Kazarinoff, a junior, during the first half.

Pagosa turned up the heat on the Bobcats in the second half, knocking in three goals. Senior Allison Laverty and freshman Sydney Smith both scored unassisted. The third time was a charm for freshman Erika Pitcher, who knocked in a goal after two attempts by Ignacio’s goalie to stop the assault. The assist came from junior Kayla Hunt. Freshman Alyssa Laydon stepped into the goalkeeper position during the second half and denied both of Ignacio’s attempts to score.

It was déjà vu for Pagosa when the game Monday in Bayfield ended after regulation time expired the same as it had the last two times the teams met — in a tie.

“It was a pretty defensive game. A defensive battle,” said Pirate Coach Lindsey Kurt-Mason. “Not many shots were made on either goal.”

The Pirates trailed 1-0 at the end of the second half, but a goal at the 55-minute mark from freshman Nicoll Hunt tied the game.

“It was a nice goal,” said Kurt-Mason. “It went over the goalie’s fingertips.”

The two teams met yet again in overtime, but this time Bayfield scored after just 84 seconds of overtime to win the game.

Bayfield’s win against Pagosa left the two teams with a 3-3-2 record and tied with Ridgway for second place in the league. However, with the point system in the league, Pagosa ended the season with 36 points, topping Ridgway’s 35 and Bayfield’s 34.

The Pirates will host Manitou Springs Saturday at noon at Golden Peaks Stadium in the first round of the 3A playoffs.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

SUN photo/Pat Artis
John Jewell is airborne on his way to first place at Saturday’s Terry Alley Invitational at Golden Peaks Stadium. Jewell leapt 40 feet, nine inches — enough to qualify him for the upcoming state meet. Jessica Low also qualified for state, in high jump, clearing 5-2. The Pirates are at Bayfield Saturday for the Intermountain League championships.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Pagosa gymnasts compete at Monument Invitational

Pagosa gymnasts participated in their second competition of the year at Sundance Gymnastics in Monument, Colo.

Thirteen teams from the Denver area competed at the meet.

Pagosa’s Level 4 Team —Molly Burkesmith, Emmy Davis, Isabelle Pajak and Miah Pitcher — was the first to compete. Pitcher brought home the silver medal in the all-around with a personal best of 36.75, placed third on bars and second on beam. Pitcher was sixth in the overall competition that included 83 girls.

Davis brought home a fourth-place medal on the vault with a high score of 9.4.

All the girls accomplished their roundoff, back handsprings by themselves.

The Optional 5 group — Madelyn Davey, Megan Davey, Hannah Rohrich, Zoe Rohrich and Sierra Trout — competed next. Madelyn Davey tied as the all-around champion with a 35.85. There were 26 competitors. She was also the vault and beam champion and placed fourth on the floor exercise.

Zoe Rohrich placed seventh in the all-around, third on vault, fifth on bars and tied for fourth on beam.

Hannah Rohrich placed fifth on bars, Megan Davey placed fourth on beam, and Trout brought a silver medal home on beam. These Pagosa athletes brought home the third-place team trophy.

The Optional 7 group — Danielle Pajak, Gabrielle Pajak, Re’ahna Ray and Toni Stoll — competed in the last session Sunday, in a field of 29 competitors.

Ray took the bronze in the all-around and also placed third on beam and fifth on floor.

Stoll placed seventh in the all-around, fourth on beam, fifth on vault and sixth on bars.

Danielle Pajak placed fifth in the all-around, fourth on beam, fifth on bars and sixth on vault. The Pagosa gymnasts will compete in Montrose on May 3.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

SUN photo/Pat Artis
Dan Cammack connects for a hit during the Pirates’ twin-bill split with Bayfield last Saturday. Pagosa and Bayfield share the Intermountain League title this season and the Pirates advance to the first round of the Class 3A playoffs this week.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Pirates split league title with Bayfield, playoffs this weekend

The Pagosa Springs Pirates and the Bayfield Wolverines each advance to the state playoffs this week after the rivals split a doubleheader last Saturday in Pagosa.

Both teams finished with a 7-1 record in the Intermountain League this year. The Pirates’ overall season record is 12-6. The Wolverine’s finished the regular season 14-5.

The Pirates won the first game of the twin bill, 2-1. The Wolverines took the second game, 14-6. The split enabled the two teams to share the conference championship.

Steven Schofield was the winning pitcher for the Pirates in the first game. He gave up the only Bayfield run in the second inning on a walk, a stolen base and a sacrifice fly.

Schofield struck out nine Wolverine batters. He walked one batter, hit one batter, and held Bayfield to two hits.

Wolverine pitcher Michael McGraw also hurled a good game, holding Pagosa to two runs.

Schofield finished the conference season with a 4-0 record.

Schofield lost only one game during the regular season — to the Farmington, New Mexico junior varsity team. The Pirate’s overall season record was 8-1.

In the third inning of the first game against Bayfield, the Pirates pulled ahead 2-1 on singles by Wes Walters, Jaylon Mendoza and Paul Hoffman. Walters and Mendoza scored the runs.

Singles by Julian Caler in the fourth and Cole Kraetsch in the sixth provided scoring threats for the Pirates, but the Pirates were unable to push across runs.

In the second game, Bayfield led all the way. The Wolverines scored one in the first inning and three in the second. In the fourth inning, the Wolverines scored nine runs to put the result out of sight. The Pirates scored three runs in the third inning, one in the fifth and two in the sixth.

At one point, Bayfield led by 10 runs, but the Pirates scored in their half of the inning, keeping the Wolverines from taking the game on the basis of the 10-run “mercy rule.”

Overall, Pagosa had eight hits. Bayfield had 12 hits, including two homers by Jeff Huffmyer.

The Pirates utilized three pitchers in trying to hold off the Wolverine blitz. The Pirate hurlers gave up six walks.

Now, it is on to the first round of the Class 3A playoffs. As of press time Wednesday, the opponent, site and time of a playoff game for the Pirates had not been determined.

Pirate athletic director Jim Shaffer said, based on the margin of their second-game win, the Wolverines qualified to be the home team in the initial playoff game, and the Pirates were likely to take to the road for their contest.

SUN photo/Pat Artis
Cole Kraetsch slides safely into third base during a Pirate victory over Cortez Tuesday. The Pirates play Bayfield at home Saturday in a doubleheader that will determine the Intermountain League champion for 2008.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Pirates win three, IML title at stake Saturday

With strong hitting and skillful pitching, the Pagosa Springs Pirates swept a doubleheader last Saturday at Centauri, downing the Falcons 15-4 and 12-0.

This gave the Pirates a 6-0 Intermountain League record prior to a Saturday doubleheader showdown with Bayfield at Pagosa at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. that will determine the conference championship. Bayfield also has a 6-0 record in the league.

In the doubleheader at Centauri, Steven Schofield was the winning pitcher in the first game. Schofield struck out 13 Falcon batters, while allowing only five hits and one walk.

In the second game, Wes Walters was the winning pitcher, shutting out the Falcons. He struck out nine Falcon batters, allowed four walks and gave up three hits.

But pitching was only part of the story. Pirate hitters unloaded on the Falcon pitching staff. Both games were shortened due to the mercy rule — one team establishing a 10-run lead. The first game was called by the umpires after six innings; the second game was called after five innings.

In the first game, the Pirates trailed the Falcons until the fifth inning when they pulled ahead, 6-4. In the sixth inning Pagosa scored nine runs to demolish any Falcon hopes of winning.

The Pirates had 19 hits with all the starters getting at least one hit. Socking three hits each were Paul Hoffman, Chris Lloyd, Julian Caler and Wes Walters. Banging out two hits each were Jared Hansen and Cole Kraetsch.

Kraetsch had a home run in the sixth inning.

In the second game, the Pirates jumped ahead in the first inning with six runs, including a homer by Dan Cammack.

In both the third and fifth innings, Hoffman slapped home runs.

But besides three homers by Cammack and Hoffman, Cammack had three doubles plus the homer.

With two hits each were Kraetsch, Lloyd and Hoffman.

With the conference championship doubleheader looming on Saturday, the Pagosa Springs Pirates managed Tuesday to edge 4-A Montezuma-Cortez at Pirate Field, 9-8, in extra innings.

Both teams utilized three pitchers.

The game began with Cortez taking a 5-3 lead in the third and an 8-3 lead in the fourth inning.

The Pirates rallied in the last half of the fourth with doubles by Jaylon Mendoza and Hansen, followed by a powerful Cammack homer over the left field fence. The Pirates finally tied Cortez in the fifth on a double by Kraetsch.

The score was tied at 8-8 through the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

But with relievers Schofield and Mendoza holding Cortez in check until the top of the ninth, the game was ready for another Pirate victory.

In the bottom of the ninth, Cammack opened with a single. Lloyd was out on a hit back to the pitcher. Then, Kraetsch hit a liner down the right field line. This enabled Cammack to race from second base to the home plate with the winning run.

Lloyd, longtime catcher, had his first pitching assignment, doing well. He was relieved by Schofield in the ninth. No Cortez batter reached first base off Mendoza.

The Pirates had 15 hits, led by Cammack and Walters with three each. Banging out two hits each were Lloyd and Kraetsch.

It was not a conference game, but it was a nice win over a 4-A team.

The win boosted the Pirates’ season record to 11-5 with most of the losses coming at the hands of New Mexico teams.

The Pirates take on Bayfield Saturday and both teams are expected to advance the following week to the state playoffs — the league champ gaining a seeding advantage.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Pirate tracksters return from break, compete at Durango

The first track meet following spring break is never particularly pretty.

For reasons: There’s the break itself, and the temptation of athletes to neglect a prescribed training regimen.

Then, there’s that first week of practice following the break.

There’s usually a flurry of other school activities taking place during the week.

So, the Pirates’ trip to Durango for the Demon Invitational last weekend produced the expected results.

As in some good, some not.

But, there were the highlights, and they bode well for the team as it prepares to host Saturday’s Terry Alley Invitational at Golden Peaks Stadium.

Jackson Walsh produced two of the Durango highlights, finishing first in distance events at the meet. The Pirate took first in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4 minutes, 47.81 seconds. He also topped the field in the 3,200, hitting the finish line at 10:36.3.

“Jackson is doing really well,” said Pirate coach Connie O’Donnell. “He competed as an individual last week at Bayfield. He’s a fierce competitor; he goes out in a race, and he wants to lead.”

John Jewell also brought home a first-place finish from the Durango meet. Jewell took top honors in the triple jump, leaping 39 feet, 8.75 inches. The Pirate took third in the longjump event with a distance of 18-6.25.

Two other members of the Pirate boys’ team medaled at Durango.

Mike Smith, able to compete in his first meet after he met his mandatory practice minimum following wrestling season, finished third in the 100. Smith ran the race in 11.95 seconds.

Taylor Shaffer was third in the 400. Shaffer had a time of 53.8. He has taken two seconds off his 400 time thus far this season.

On the girls’ side Amie Shearston was second in the triple jump. Shearston hit a distance of 30-9.5. Her teammate Kylie Corcoran was third, with a distance of 30-3. It is the first time either jumper has reached the 30-foot mark this year.

Jessica Low continued to place in high jump. Low cleared 5 feet to take second place at Durango.

The girls’ 4x800 relay team of Jacie Harms, Breezy Bryant, Magan Kraetsch and Megan Bryant was third in the race, posting a time of 11:05.48.

“We didn’t place as many girls as we usually do,” said O’Donnell of the results. “But, with both our girls and boys, I noticed the Monday when we came back to practice there were some who obviously had not followed their spring break workout plans. They were struggling. Also, this is the point in the season when we work everyone extra hard in practice, before they peak. It was a tough week, so the results were not entirely unexpected.”

Saturday, the Pirates host eight teams at the annual Terry Alley Invitational, and O’Donnell anticipates her athletes will be back in stride — literally and figuratively.

“I’m expecting the kids to perform better,” she said, no doubt putting the possible distraction of that night’s prom out of her head. “We’re at home and we don’t have to contend with that week layoff. We also have four kids who can now compete (Smith and three other wrestlers), so we might have more placers in the sprints.”

Events at Golden Peaks Stadium Saturday begin at 9 a.m.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

SUN photo/Pat Artis
Freshman Nicoll Hunt, 4, moves in for a steal while sophomore Natalie Erickson tries to keep the Demons at bay. The Pirates lost to the Durango Demons 3-1 Tuesday. The Pirates are currently ranked second in the league, and will face Ignacio Friday and Bayfield Monday to determine their final ranking.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Pirates bow to one Demon, tear down another

The Pirates soccer team had a very busy week, and while they may have lost two games against non-league foe Durango, they cinched an important win against Ridgway, securing second place in the league standings.

Pagosa faced Durango Thursday, and bowed out with a loss of 5-0.

The Pirates trailed 1-0 at the end of the first half. “We were holding our own pretty well,” said Coach Lindsey Kurt-Mason.

However, in the first 10 minutes of the second half, the Demons came on strong and put three goals past the Pirates.

“Physically, we just lost our legs,” said Kurt-Mason.

The Pirates bounced back Saturday and beat a different team of Demons — the Ridgway Demons — 2-1 in a league match. The team has been working on being first to the ball, and it paid off in Saturday’s game.

“We won every 50-50 ball,” Kurt-Mason said. “There were a bunch of headers.”

The Demons and the Pirates remained tied 0-0 at the end of the first half, but freshman Nicoll Hunt rose to the challenge and scored two goals in the second half. She scored the first goal unassisted, and the second with a pass from senior Lexi Johnson.

“It was magnificent,” said Kurt-Mason. “They were really great goals.”

Ridgway persisted, and nearly tied the game near the 70 minute mark. However, an “incredible run” from a Ridgway striker was soundly denied by defender Justine Smith, a sophomore.

“She just came from the corner, out of nowhere, and kicked it out of the post,” said Kurt-Mason.

The Pirates met with Durango again Tuesday, and while they did not win, they did show the 5A team that their defense was not to be taken lightly.

“It was a good defensive battle,” said Kurt-Mason. “There was not much of the offensive buildup that Durango usually has.”

The Pirates “played as a team defensively,” and kept Durango out of the inside, allowing only eight shots on goal. Junior goalkeeper Nichole Kazarinoff had five saves.

“She’s just a very dominant keeper,” said Kurt-Mason of Kazarinoff. “She’s talking to everyone on the field.”

Durango held a 1-0 lead until a push on freshman Kassidy Smith near the 30 minute mark resulted in a direct kick outside of the box. Smith stunningly sent the ball sailing into the upper left-hand corner of the net, tying the game.

Another stellar performance from junior Kayla Hunt earned the praise of Kurt-Mason. Of her game, he said, “She played beyond herself. Above and beyond the call of her duty.” He also applauded Justine Smith’s defensive play. “She’s really tough,” he said of Smith.

But, despite their best efforts to pick themselves up by their bootstraps, the Pirates had a few more falters, allowing Durango to edge in a 3-1 win.

“It was a good tune-up for the next two games,” said Kurt-Mason.

The Pirates’ clutch win against Ridgway propelled them into second place in the league behind rival Telluride, and two league matches remain before the final standings will be determined. The Pirates will face off with Ignacio Friday at 4 p.m. at Golden Peaks Stadium. Saturday’s match in Bayfield has been rescheduled to Monday at 4 p.m.

Photo courtesy Jeff Laydon
Allison Laverty chases down a ball during Tuesday’s 0-0 double-overtime tie with Bayfield. Pagosa is currently tied for second in the league standings with Ridgway and the two teams will battle it out at Golden Peaks Stadium Saturday, at 11 a.m.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Pirates to be ‘first to the ball’ as season winds down

The Pirate soccer team returned from spring break and, the next day, Tuesday, took to the pitch at Golden Peaks Stadium to face Bayfield in a conference match.

After two five-minute overtimes the result was the same as when the two teams met earlier in the season — a tie. This time, 0-0.

Weather was a definite factor in the contest, with high winds blowing the length of the field. “The team with the wind seemed to have the advantage,” said Pirate coach Lindsey Kurt-Mason,” being better able to press the action.”

With but a single practice following the spring break, the Pirates seemed disorganized on the attack against Bayfield, often failing to spread the field and advance the ball to the forwards and the Bayfield field net.

“We didn’t have much of a passing game, “ said the coach, “though I thought it was a little better than Bayfield’s. But, Bayfield was winning most of the 50-50 balls and that balanced things out. It seemed we didn’t have desire to win the balls in the air. If we had, with our passing game, things could have gone better for us.”

On defense, Pagosa managed to hold the Wolverines at bay during most of the match. “Neither team mustered much of an attack,” said Kurt-Mason. We had a pretty good defense, but our midfield wasn’t getting in on balls that came between the midfield and our back four. It was a matter of being aggressive. We play them one more time. We’ve tied twice, and we need a win in our second conference game with them.

The Pirates travel to Durango today for a 3 p.m. match with the Class 5A Demons. “They’re very well disciplined,” Kurt-Mason said of Durango, “and we have our work cut out for us.”

Saturday, league action takes the stage as the Pirates host Ridgway in an important match at 11 a.m. at Golden Peaks Stadium. The teams tied 1-1 in the first go-round March 21, in Montrose. The two teams are currently tied for second in the league standings (Telluride leads the pack) and a win is crucial for both programs. “We’re fairly even teams,” said the coach. “They (Ridgway) are a little more disciplined than Bayfield. “

Next Tuesday, Ignacio comes to the home pitch for a league match at 4 p.m.

“I think we’re seeing a team in progress,” said Kurt-Mason of his young team. “We prevent goals, but we need to move the ball down field in an orderly fashion. We’re improving one aspect per game. In this game against Bayfield, we fell a bit shy of that. In the previous five games, though, we’ve picked one part and improved. Next game, we are going to concentrate on being first to the ball. If we do that, we’ll be more confident and our passing game will improve. We’ll spread the game out more. If you shy away from the ball, you’re always in a defensive mode and you get less confident. First to the ball, is our goal in the next game.”

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Photo courtesy David Cammack
Pirate second-baseman Dan Cammack provided solid defense and one hit in the Pirates’ 11-1 league victory over Monte Vista Tuesday.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Mercy rule ends Pirates’ 11-1 romp over Monte

The Pagosa Springs Pirates baseball team overwhelmed Monte Vista 11-1 Tuesday in a home game, building the home team’s season record to 8-5.

Steve Schofield, the Pirate starting pitcher, struck out seven Monte Vista batters and gave up only one walk and two hits. The win gave Schofield a season record of 6-1.

Pagosa hit three Monte Vista pitchers hard. Jarold Hansen blasted a homer over the left centerfield fence to lead off the third inning.

The Pirates scored one run in the first inning, four in the second, five in the third and the 11th run in the fifth inning. The game was called by the umpires once Pagosa had a 10-run lead.

Wes Walters, playing centerfield, had two doubles and two singles while scoring three runs to pace the Pagosa hitting.

Jaylon Mendoza, playing second base, had two singles and two stolen bases.

Adding to the Pagosa Springs 13 hit offense with individual hits were Eric Hurd, Schofield, Julian Caler, Cole Kraetsch, Chris Lloyd and Dan Cammack.

This Saturday, the Pirates play a doubleheader at Centauri in two conference games.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

SUN photo/Ben Bagwell
Wes Walters, left, was named to the 2007-2008 Intermountain League basketball all-conference second team. Taylor Shaffer was named to the first team as a result of his play during the season.

SUN photo/Ben Bagwell
Three members of the Pirate girls’ basketball team received second-team all-conference honors this year. From left are Tamara Gayhart, Camille Rand and Allison Hart.