Injuries force guests to forfeit second game
Struggling Center’s season really couldn’t sink further south, but the Vikings didn’t need Rico Garcia’s right ring finger to remind them so Saturday, May 14, in Ignacio.
Injured on a headfirst dive failing to keep him from being doubled off first base following teammate Lorenzo Trujillo’s line drive straight back to, and caught by IHS pitcher Eppie Quintana, Garcia’s dislocated digit appeared to have navigated any compass’ cardinal directions as he made a painful walk across the diamond to the trainer’s table for aid.
And as if things couldn’t get any worse for CHS, reduced to only eight players in the field, second baseman Leo Carrillo – moved to shortstop with SS Nicholas Palma manning Garcia’s spot at third – wracked his right knee on an unintentional run-in with Bobcat Eli Arthur as he forced Arthur out at second following Devante Montoya’s grounder to the left side.
Down to seven serviceable souls, but desperately wanting to finish at least one of the two scheduled games, the 2A Southern Peaks Leaguers’ spirits were buoyed when Garcia somehow returned to play first base, receiving much-deserved applause from both sides.
Unfortunately, Montoya’s fielder’s-choice bouncer had plated Marcus Maez, increasing Ignacio’s advantage to 13-0 at the time of Carrillo’s exit. Montoya would then score via CHS centerfielder Estevan Velez’s error fielding a Jacob Gallegos single, allowing Gallegos to hustle all the way to third. Quintana then beat out a flare infield single, and Viking pitcher Francisco Villa then plunked Phillip Quintana to pack the sacks – promptly cleared by Rylan Maez’s subsequent fly to center which Velez couldn’t squeeze in his glove.
Leading 17-0, the ’Cats would soon get a bases-loaded, two-RBI single from Marcus Maez and a two-RBI double from Eppie Quintana before Center skipper Daniel Garcia swapped Villa (L; 1.2 IP, 11 H, 24 R, 7 BB, 5 HB, 0 K) for catcher Alicia Rios (0.1 IP) after Phillip Quintana beat out an infield single to short with two away.
But when Rylan Maez bounced a Rios delivery into play, Quintana was apparently ruled out of the baseline, bringing the second inning to a close with IHS ahead by two dozen runs. Completing a one-hit start, Eppie Quintana (W, CG; 3 IP, 0 BB, HB, 4 K) then struck out Devin Thompson and David Felix looking, and got Palma to pop up into Phillip Quintana’s mitt just in front of home plate.
And as expected, Center chose to forfeit Game 2, increasing Ignacio’s win streak to seven games as the Bobcats improved to 12-7 overall (still a first-place 4-2 in the 2A/1A San Juan Basin).
In his own support Eppie Quintana went 3-3 with a triple and the aforementioned double and was also hit by a pitch. He scored four runs and drove in three. Montoya was 1-2 with a double and two walks, four runs scored and three batted in. Gallegos went 1-2, singling and reaching via error, walked once and was beaned once, and scored four times.
Phillip Quintana ended up 2-2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch, scored three runs and plated two, while Marcus Maez finished 2-2 with a walk, three runs and three RBI. Elliott Hendren was 1-1 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch, and three runs scored. Rylan Maez went 1-3 with a double, hit-by-pitch, two runs and one RBI.
In defeat for CHS (1-19 overall), Garcia went 1-1 with a clean, opposite-field single to right. Velez was officially 0-for-0 with a HBP, and Palma went 0-2 as the lone Viking with two plate appearances.
The Bobcats were to close out regular-season play Tuesday, May 17, at home versus non-league Centauri, but results against the La Jara-based Falcons (11-10, 2-6 3A Intermountain) were unavailable at press time.
CHSAANOW.COM CLASS 2A BASEBALL POLL (released 5/16)
1.Limon, 2.Peyton, 3.Ault Highland, 4.Rye, 5.Colorado Springs St. Mary’s, 6.Burlington, 7.Swink, 8.Buena Vista, 9.Trinidad, 10.Wiggins. Others Receiving Votes – IGNACIO, Lyons, Lafayette Alexander Dawson School, Denver Christian.