After almost three weeks in between games, the Pagosa Springs High School Pirates baseball team picked up where it left off, winning both games of their doubleheader against Sanford.
The Pirates outscored their visitors 32-3 over the course of the two games.
The Pirates hosted Sanford on Tuesday, April 7, and moved to 8-3 after winning the first game 18-3 and the second game 14-0.
The two games were their first games since March 19.
“I told them that Sanford’s a team that we should beat,” said coach Jon Wells. “I was really proud of them for going out and doing their job. It’s not always easy to win when you’re expected to win, but they did so and they did so really well.”
The Pirates beat the Indians 18-3 in the first game in just four innings, finishing with 13 hits and zero errors.
After one inning the Pirates were up 1-0, but a nine-spot in the second extended the lead to 10 runs.
The Indians scored three runs in the third, but the Pirates added four in the third and the fourth innings to win the game 18-3.
Five Pirates recorded multihit games.
Taylor Wells led the way, going 3-for-4 with a run and three RBIs. Noah Bellina went 2-for-3 with a two runs and two RBIs, Sebastian Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs, Zach Pouyer went 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBIs, and Aaron Sowle went 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Taylor Wells also toed the rubber for the Pirates in the game. In four innings he gave up three runs (zero earned) on three hits while striking out six.
“We put the ball in play and good things happen, and I was proud of them for really not missing a beat and coming out after three weeks off and hitting the ball like that. It was fantastic,” said Jon Wells.
The Pirates shut out the Indians 14-0 in the second game of the doubleheader. The team finished with seven hits and committed two errors.
The Pirates quickly opened up a 7-0 lead after the first inning. They added two more in the third and five more in the fourth to extend their lead to 14 runs. The game ended due to the run rule after the Indians posted another zero in the fifth.
Braylon Landry got the win on the mound after giving up just one hit in four innings of work while walking four and striking out two. Kaeden Iguchi threw the top of the fifth, giving up a hit, a walk and striking out two.
Landry’s four innings of shutout baseball didn’t come without a fight, noted Jon Wells. He put baserunners on in the first, the second and the third, but remained calm and didn’t allow any Indians to come around to score.
“He doesn’t get rattled,” the coach said. “You know, if he walks a couple guys, the demeanor on the mound doesn’t change. He doesn’t get frustrated with himself, and that’s important from a pitching perspective, is to kind of keep that level head and make sure that you continue to do your job even when faced with base runners and adversity.”
Pouyer went 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs and four RBIs, Kasen Limebrook 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBIs, Iguchi went 1-for-1 with two runs and two RBIs, Bellina went 1-for-3 with one run and two RBIs, and Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with a run and a RBI.
This weekend the No. 20 Pirates will host the No.16 Alamosa (7-6) on Saturday, April 11, for another doubleheader, with action set to begin at 11 a.m.
The Mean Moose didn’t graduate many players last year and have a good team this year, noted Jon Wells.
“I think it’ll be two tough games,” he said. “I think we’ve got a good chance of being competitive and giving them a run. But, the boys are going to have to come out and play solid defense and pitch strikes and continue what they’re hitting.”
Then, on Tuesday, April 14, the Pirates will head to Durango to take on the Demons (8-4), who sit as the No. 7 team in 4A baseball.
The doubleheader will begin at 3 p.m.
jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com
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