Despite snow and lightning delays, the Pagosa Springs High School Pirate baseball team split its doubleheader with the Bayfield Wolverines on Saturday, April 27, in Bayfield.
“It was a crazy day,” coach Ben Garcia said. “We got there and it just snowed and snowed, just made everything a mess.”
Garcia noted the game was slightly delayed due to the field being wet following about half an hour of snow.
Despite the weather, the Pirates won the first half of the doubleheader 12-3.
“We played really well that first game,” Garcia said. “We hit the ball a ton and did what we needed to do. ”
The Pirates picked up three in the top of the first, which the Wolverines countered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Pagosa brought around another five in the top of the second, with the Wolverines scoring their only other run of the game in the bottom of the second.
Pagosa went on to score two more in the third, one in the fifth and one in the seventh.
The Pirates’ 12 runs came on 16 hits and four walks. The Pirates struck out four times in the game.
Hunter Pouyer went 3-for-5, including a triple, with two runs scored and five RBIs. He drew one walk.
Kyler Henderson also picked up three hits in the game, scored two runs and logged three RBIs. He drew one walk.
Rylie Laugel had two hits, including a triple, drew a walk and scored three runs. He also tallied two stolen bases.
Chris Martinez logged two hits, four runs scored and an RBI. He also drew a walk and stole three bases.
Cooper Ralston also had two hits, which included a triple, and had one RBI.
Zach Pouyer went 2-for 4.
Jaden Tuggle-Reed had a double and two RBIs.
Dylan Dempster had a hit and a run scored.
Laugel pitched a complete game for the Pirates, allowing three runs over seven inning’s on six hits and three walks while striking out five.
“Riley pitched really well,” Garcia said. “He gave us an opportunity. He had big strikeouts in key situations, some ground balls in key situations.
The Pirates committed three errors in the game, with the Wolverines having two.
Garcia acknowledged the Pirates continued to make mistakes in the game, but the team was able to overcome them with the help of Laugel’s pitching and the team’s hitting.
“We really hit the ball well ... especially with runners in scoring position. I was really happy with how we came through in those situations, so that turned out really well,” Garcia said, adding the Pirates had the bases loaded three times and were able to score them all every time. “As a whole, we did really well that first game.”
The Pirates fell 11-10 in the second half of the doubleheader, with Garcia noting it was kind of the opposite in the second game.
“We had a chance to really blow it open on a number of occasions, but what happened is we didn’t come through, especially with bases loaded,” Garcia said,
The Pirates scored three in the top of the third, but lost the lead to Bayfield in the bottom of the fourth when the Wolverines scored four.
Pagosa countered with six in the top of the fifth to lead 9-4, but Bayfield brought around five in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
The teams also had to wait through an hour-long lightning delay in the bottom of the fifth, according to Garcia.
The Pirates picked up one run in the top of the sixth.
Garcia explained the Pirates had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the sixth inning, but had a strikeout and a ground ball, with the team only scoring one in the inning.
The Wolverines logged the walk-off win with two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
“The bottom fell out in the seventh inning,” Garcia said, noting the Pirates got the first out, then a Wolverine batter was hit by a pitch. A ground ball then resulted in a late play and no outs, which was followed by another hit batter.
“Then we walked the next two hitters. So, that’s how they tied the game and that’s how they won the game,” Garcia said.
Pagosa had 14 hits in the game and walked three times.
Hunter Pouyer again went 3-for-5, which included logging a homer, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Tuggle-Reed had two hits, a run scored and an RBI.
Zach Pouyer had two hits, including a triple, three RBIs and a run scored.
Martinez had two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
Ralston had two hits, including a double, and scored a run.
Laugel logged a triple, a walk, a run scored and an RBI.
Henderson had one hit, one RBI and two runs scored.
Dempster had one hit, a walk, one RBI and one run scored.
Ty Richey drew a walk.
The Pirates had eight stolen bases in the game — two each from Tuggle-Reed, Hunter Pouyer, Martinez and Ralston.
Martinez and Ralston took the mound in the game, combining to allow 11 runs (eight earned) on 12 hits and seven walks while striking out three.
The Pirates committed four errors in the game.
“Bayfield’s a pretty good team. They can hit the ball really well,” Garcia said.
The coach highlighted Laugel’s and Martinez’s pitching on the day.
Garcia also highlighted Hunter Pouyer.
“Hunter Pouyer just absolutely stood out like crazy,” Garcia said, highlighting Pouyer’s seven RBIs and home run on the day, as well as his strong defensive skill as catcher when the Pirate pitchers were struggling. “He wasn’t letting anything go by him, just absolutely did a great job. ... That’s a huge bright spot for us.”
The coach also highlighted Zach Pouyer’s consistency reaching base and hitting in runners, as well as taking on whatever is asked of him.
“One of the things we’ve continued to talk about is that we are our own worst enemy,” Garcia said. “We couple our errors. We don’t make one, shut the door and move on.”
The coach acknowledged the Pirates again had some fielding difficulties that compounded and led to several Wolverine runs.
“We have got to stop making those types of mistakes,” Garcia said, adding, “Routine plays will win ya championships.”
But, Garcia noted, “Winning five games out of six is not bad.”
Garcia added the Pirates played great in five of those games.
“I’m excited. I really think we’ll show strong,” he said, adding he hopes the Pirates will have the chance to make the playoffs.
The Pirates currently sit third in the Intermountain League behind Montezuma-Cortez and Bayfield.
The Pirates are 5-3 in league play and 9-9 overall. They currently sit as the No. 32 team in the 3A Selection and Seeding Index, which helps determine postseason seeding.
The Pirates will be back in action on May 7 in Ignacio versus the 2A Bobcats with a 3 p.m. matchup in Ignacio.
The Bobcats are 13-5 on the season and are the No. 16 team in the 2A Selection and Seeding Index.
