Despite coach Jon Wells calling this year a rebuilding season, the Pagosa Springs High School Pirate baseball team took a 6-3 record into spring break after defeating Dolores in both games of a doubleheader last week.
The Pirates hosted the Bears on Thursday, March 19, for a doubleheader, making it the second and third times the two teams have seen each other this season after the two teams played to open the season.
Before the games, Wells explained he told his team that he believed they were the better team and he expected them to win both games, and they did just that.
The Pirates won the first game 16-11 and the second game 11-1.
In the first game, the Pirates held a 6-0 lead after two innings, but gave up 10 runs in the top of the third behind some free passes and mistakes defensively, noted Wells.
Heading into the sixth inning the Pirates found themselves down 11-8 with only six outs left.
The Pirates, however, proved they only needed three, scoring eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to take 16-11 lead.
Closer Zach Pouyer shut the door in the top of the seventh and the Pirates took game one.
The Pirates had 11 hits in the matchup.
Taylor Wells went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and three doubles, Sebastian Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with three runs, Pouyer went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a double, Dylan Dempster went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Noah Bellina went 1-for-4 with a triple and Aaron Sowle went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Braylon Landry toed the rubber to start the game and pitched a shutout through the first two innings. He ran into trouble in the third, which gave way to Kaeden Iguchi coming in-relief. The two combined to give up 11 runs (six earned) on four hits while walking 10 and striking out two.
“The boys, being who they are, didn’t quit and found a way to tighten up on defense and score the runs needed to come from behind in that game,” Jon Wells said. “So, that was another good come-from-behind win for us.”
In the second game the Pirates got out to a quick 10-0 lead after three innings and rolled on their way to a run-rule victory after five innings behind timely at-bats and a great game on the mound from Taylor Wells, noted the coach.
Taylor Wells pitched five full innings, giving up just one run (zero earned) and two hits while striking out four and walking one.
Pouyer, Gonzalez, Angelo Medina and Sowle all had a multihit game, as well.
Pouyer went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Gonzalez went 2-for-2 with three runs, Medina went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Sowle went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a double.
Taylor Wells finished the game 1-for-3 with an RBI double, Kasen Limebrook went 1-for-1 with an RBI and a run, and Dempster went 1-for-1 with a run.
“[I] kind of told them that we can’t wait to score our runs this game because we might only get five innings in,” Jon Wells said. “Even though we run-ruled them 11-1, the sun was starting to set, and I don’t know how much of the game we would have left anyway. The boys did a great job of kind of shutting them down and getting that win quick in that game.”
Through the first nine games of the season, the coach emphasized how impressed he’s been with Sowle, one of the team’s captains and its everyday catcher.
“He is just — he’s super tough back there and never complains about being tired or anything,” the coach said. “So, he’s a huge, huge piece of us defensively behind the plate.”
Jon Wells also mentioned that Dempster has started the season off strong behind the plate and has been a big piece of this team’s success early in the season.
The Pirates now have a break with spring break this week and won’t play again until Tuesday, April 7, when they host Sanford for a double-header.
This week, the coach is hosting optional practice for the players who want to get extra work in during the break.
The team will then be back for regular practice starting the week of March 30.
jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com
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