The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate baseball team picked up a 5-4 win over the 2A Ignacio Bobcats Tuesday afternoon, improving the team’s record on the season to 10-9.
Coach Ben Garcia noted that, while the wind was shaking the bus on the way to the game, the winds were about 20 mph during the game — enough to affect pop flies and keep the ball in the park.
Despite the wind, Garcia explained the Pirates played well, and played “really well” defensively in the infield.
The Pirates jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, with the Bobcats tying the game in the bottom of the inning.
Pagosa took a 2-1 lead in the third and brought around another run in the fourth to make it a 3-1 game.
The Bobcats scored one in the bottom of the fourth, but the Pirates countered with another run in the top of the fifth to lead 4-2.
Pagosa brought another run around in the top of the seventh when Jaden Tuggle-Reed walked, stole second, advanced to third on a hit and scored on a missed Ignacio play.
“It turned out to be a big run,” Garcia said.
The Bobcats scored two in the bottom of the inning.
The bottom of the seventh, Garcia said, “turned into one of those bizarre situations again.”
Garcia explained two of the Pirates’ four errors in the game came in the seventh, with the Bobcats bringing around runs on walks, errors, hit batters and a balk.
“We are putting ourselves into those situations where we don’t need to,” Garcia said.
But, the coach pointed out, the team found a way to win when, in the past, it hasn’t.
The Pirates had nine hits in the game, three walks, four hit batters and struck out three times.
Hunter Pouyer had three hits on the day, was hit by a pitch and stole three bases.
Chris Martinez had two hits and a run scored in addition to stealing a base, and Cooper Ralston had two hits and two stolen bases.
Riley Laugel had a hit and an RBI, and Kyler Henderson had a double and two RBIs in addition to being hit by a pitch.
Tuggle-Reed walked twice, scored two runs and had a stolen base.
Ty Richey drew one walk and was hit by a pitch.
Zach Pouyer was hit by a pitch and stole a base.
Garcia noted that stolen bases by Martinez, Tuggle-Reed and Pouyer all resulted in runs for the Pirates and helped in the pitchers’ duel.
“We made some really good, strategic stolen bases,” he said.
Laugel pitched most of the game for the Pirates, with Martinez entering in relief in the sixth.
“Riley did a good job,” Garcia said, noting he did a really good job of checking base runners and not allowing very many hits.
The Pirate pitchers combined to allow four runs (two earned) on seven hits while walking five.
Garcia acknowledged the walks, but noted they were all spread out, though a pair of walks in the sixth produced a run.
On Saturday, May 11, the team will welcome the Alamosa Mean Moose to town for a doubleheader to close out the regular season.
The Mean Moose are 6-15 on the season, with both the Mean Moose and the Pirates owning 3-3 Intermountain League records.
The Pirates are the No. 29 team in the 3A Selection and Seeding Index, with the Mean Moose are ranked 41st.
“This weekend is a really big weekend for us,” Garcia said, explaining that the team playing how it is capable of playing and logging wins will help the team move up in the rankings heading into the postseason. “It’s important for us to go out and play well.”
The top 32 teams advance to the postseason.
He added it’s also important since it will be the day to give all the team’s seniors an opportunity to play.
“We’re excited to send our seniors off in a good fashion,” he said.
Garcia indicated the team is continuing to work on changing its mentality to believe it can win.
“Our mental preparation is as big as our physical preparation,” he said, adding the team is working on controlling what it can and practicing on things like fielding pop flies in the wind.
He added, “We are a really good team. I really like the makeup of our team ... We’ve just got to keep learning how to win.”
The doubleheader is slated to begin at 11 a.m.