Bulldog baseball wins 3

The Douglas Bulldog baseball team played three games in three days and emerged with a three game winning streak last week.

On March 7 the Bulldogs hosted the Nogales Apaches on a cold windy day in Douglas that, according to the National Weather Service, saw wind gusts reach 56 miles per hour.

Despite the wind the Bulldogs overcame a 5-2 deficit to beat their border town rivals 12-9. Of the nine runs Nogales score, just two were earned.

The next day, Thursday, March 8, the Bulldogs were in Tucson where they knocked off the Pueblo Warriors 10-0.

On Friday the Bulldogs headed to Willcox where they bit the Cowboys 8-5.

Against Nogales Bulldog starting pitcher Xavier Altamirano struggled early allowing Nogales to load the bases before scoring a run off a wild pitch.

Down 1-0 going into the bottom half of the first Jason Sanez doubled and then later scored when Altamirano belted a two-run home run to left field giving Douglas a 2-1 lead.

Nogales regained the lead in the top half of the fourth when the Apaches scored two. The Apaches followed that up with two more runs in the top of the fifth taking a 5-2 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth the Bulldogs stormed back scoring 10 runs off 10 hits erasing the three run deficit and taking a 12-5 lead.

Things got interesting in the top of the seventh as the Apaches scored four runs pulling within three before the final out came.

Altamirano lasted just four innings on the hill giving up three runs off one hit while fanning eight and walking six.

Grant Watkins threw two and third innings in relief and gave up two runs off six hits while fanning two and walking one.

Senior Roy Aguirre came in the bottom of the seventh to get the last two outs.

Douglas had 13 hits in the game. Sanez was 3 for 4 with three doubles, Altamirano 2 for 4 with a double and a home run, Aguirre 2 for 2, Diego Resendiz 1 for 2, Watkins, Christian Dorame and Jorge Escalante each were 1 for 3, Luis Barrios and Rufino Salinas each were 1 for 4.

Against Pueblo, Aguirre dominated on the hill fanning 14 in six innings while giving up no runs off one hit and walking three.

Fernando Rojas threw one inning in relief giving up no runs off one hit.

The Bulldogs scored three in the top of the first and added one more in the second when Dorame belted a solo shot. Douglas tacked on another run in the third to go up 5-0 before closing out with a five-run seventh.

Sanez hit 2 for 4 this game, Altamirano was 2 for 3, Barrios 1 for 2, Escalante 1 for 3 and Aguirre and Dorame each were 1 for 4 with Dorame having a home run.

Against Willcox the Bulldogs again jumped out to an early lead scoring three runs off a hit and an error. Escalante hit a two run double this inning.

Willcox countered with a run in the bottom of the first making the score 3-1. The Cowboys added another run in the third pulling within one.

Douglas responded with a run in the top of the fourth and four in the top of the fifth taking an 8-2 lead.

Willcox rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh pulling within three.

Dorame started the game on the hill for Douglas and went four innings giving up two runs off two hits while walking two and fanning one.

Watkins threw three innings in relief and gave up three runs off two hits while walking two and fanning five.

Sanez hit 3 for 4 this game while Salinas and Barrios were each 2 for 4, Rojas was 1 for 3, and Joey Urquijo and Jorge Escalante each were 1 for 4.

After the third straight win the coach said while he’s happy with the win he’s concerned about his defense who committed six errors against Nogales and five against Willcox.

“Our pitching is fine,” he said. “Right now it’s our defense that’s giving us trouble.”

The Bulldogs, 6-2, are in Tucson all this week playing five games in five days at the Salpointe Invitational.

Junior varsity

The Douglas JV’s kicked off their season last week with a pair of wins.

The Bulldogs pummeled Buena 24-3 March 2 before coming back March 7 to beat Nogales 11-6.

Against Buena the Bulldogs erupted for nine runs off six hits in the bottom of the first. Douglas added two more in the second and two in the third taking a 13-0 lead.

Buena scored all three of its runs in the fourth making the score 13-3.

Douglas responded with nine runs off four hits and four walks in the bottom of the fourth before closing out with two more in the fifth.

Brian Lomeli was the winning pitcher going four innings and giving up no runs off no hits while fanning three and walking four.

Sergio Valenzuela threw one inning in relief and gave up no runs off one hit while walking two.

Kirt Cormier hit 3 for 3 this game with a triple and three RBI’s; Roberto Velasquez was 3 for 5 with a triple and three RBI’s; Ozzie Moreno 2 for 3 with four RBI’s; Lomeli 2 for 4 with two RBI’s; Rogelio Luna 2 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI; Valenzuela 1 for 2 with an RBI; Chris Cruz 1 for 2, Nick Ortega 1 for 3 with a double and two RBI’s; Adrian Pena 1 for 3 with an RBI and Nick Leigh 1 for 4 with an RBI.

Against Nogales the Bulldogs trailed 6-1 going into the top of the fifth when Douglas rallied for three runs pulling within two.

Another Bulldog run in the sixth pulled Douglas within one at 6-5.

In the top of the seventh the Bulldogs rallied for six runs off four hits taking an 11-6 lead.

Lomeli started the game on the mound and lasted just two and two-thirds innings giving up six runs off six hits.

Velasquez threw three and third in relief and picked up the win giving up no runs off no hits while fanning four.

Cormier threw the seventh and gave up no runs off no hits.

Luna hit 3 for 5 with three RBI’s this game. Moreno was also 3 for 5; Valasquez was 2 for 5 with a double and two RBI’s; Cormier 1 for 1 with a double and an RBI; David Hurtado was 1 for 3 with two RBI’s; Leo Montano was 1 for 4 with an RBI; Ortega 1 for 1; CJ Estrella 1 for 4 and Valenzuela 1 for 5.

Douglas’ coach Levi Salazar said after the win against Nogales he was pleased with the kids effort.

“They stayed focused and never gave up,” he said. “Roberto and Kirt did a great job of shutting them down.”