Bulldogs go 3-2 at Lancer Invitational

For the second straight year the Douglas Bulldog baseball team spent its Spring Break in Tucson playing five games in five days.

Every single day the Bulldogs would ride the bus two hours to Salpointe High School to play a baseball game. Despite the everyday road trips the Bulldogs did leave with a 3-2 record.

Of the five games the Bulldogs played Douglas’ baseball coach Gilbert Rojas said the only real bad game his team played at the tournament was on day two when the Bulldogs faced Nogales, who they had beaten 12-9 in Douglas, a week before.

The Apaches were all over the Bulldogs this game allowing Douglas no runs off four hits in a 10-0 shutout.

Fernando Rojas was the losing pitcher this game. He went three innings, gave up eight runs off seven hits, fanned one and walked four.

Kirt Cormier threw one inning in relief and gave up two runs off no hits and fanned one.

Roy Aguirre hit 2 for 2 this game while Jorge Escalante and Jason Sanez each were 1 for 2.

The Bulldogs began the tournament thumping Franklin High from California 19-5.

Xavier Altamirano was the winning pitcher going four innings and giving up one run off one hit while fanning seven and walking one.

Cormier and Rene Moran each threw an inning in relief.

The Bulldogs used a four run first and a five run second to jump out to a 9-0 lead and never looked back finishing the game with 14 hits.

Grant Watkins was 2 for 3 from the plate this game while Diego Resendiz 2 for 5. Sanez hit 3 for 4, Rufino Salinas 1 for 2, Escalante and Luis Barrios each were 1 for 3 and Alex Montano and Blaze Rose were each 1 for 1.

Following the loss to Nogales on Tuesday the Bulldogs came back on Wednesday and edged Canyon Del Oro 6-5.

Aguirre was the winning pitcher here going the distance. He finished the game giving up five runs off four hits, fanned five and walked three.

CDO led this game 5-1 going into the top of the sixth when the Dogs rallied for three runs pulling within one. Aguirre and Watkins had back to back RBI doubles this inning.

Down 5-4 going into the top of the seventh Escalante tied the game and Sanez scored the winning run on Aguirre’s game winning base hit.

Aguirre, Watkins, Rose and Joey Urquijo each hit 2 for 3 this game. Resendiz was 1 for 3 while Barrios, Escalante and Sanez each were 1 for 4.

Douglas finished 2-1 in pool play and was matched up with Scottsdale Notre Dame in the tournament pool play.

The Bulldogs beat the Saints 4-2 March 15.

Watkins was the winning pitcher here going five and third innings and giving up two runs off five hits while fanning one and walking three.

Christian Dorame threw an inning and two-thirds in relief and gave up no runs off one hit while fanning one and walking two.

Notre Dame led 1-0 briefly when the Bulldogs tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the first.

Douglas scored three times in the bottom of the fifth increasing its lead to 4-1.

Escalante hit 2 for 4 this game while Altamirano, Barrios, Resendiz, Rose and Urquijo each had a hit.

The fifth game in five days pitted Douglas against Sunnyside who prevailed 5-2.

Dorame was the losing pitcher going four innings and giving up four runs off six hits while fanning three and walking one.

Cormier threw two innings in relief before yielding to Altamirano who closed out the game.

Sunnyside scored three runs in the first, one in the third and one more in the fifth taking a 5-0 lead.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the bottom of the fifth.

Altamirano hit 2 for 3 this game while Cormier and Dorame each were 1 for 2 and Aguirre 1 for 1.

Coach Rojas said Friday night he really likes going to this tournament.

“They bring in some good teams,” he said. “It’s pretty close to a playoff type of atmosphere.”

For the most part the coach said he was pleased with how his team played.

“If we had one off game it would be against Nogales,” he said. “We just never could get going.”

Against Sunnyside the coach said his team had its chances leaving the bags full in the seventh.

“All in all I thought it was a good tournament for us,” he said. “I think the kids got some good experience.”

The Bulldogs, 9-4, hosted Desert View last night, will host Tombstone today and will be at Sahuaro on Friday.

Junior varsity

The Douglas JV’s added two more wins to their season.

On March 8 the young Bulldogs beat Pueblo 16-6.

Cormier and Sergio Valenzuela pitched in the game with Cormier going four inning and Valenzuela two.

Roberto Velasquez hit 3 for 4 with a triple and two RBI’s this game. Leo Montano was 2 for 3 with a triple, CJ Estrella and Cormier were each 2 for 3 with a RBI, Ortega 1 for 2 with a triple and an RBI, Valenzuela 1 for 2 with a triple. Ozzie Moreno and Adrian Pena each were 1 for 2 and Michael Arzate was 1 for 1.

On March 9 the Bulldog JV’s mercy ruled Willcox 13-0.

Ortega was the winning pitcher giving up no runs off one hit while fanning seven in five innings on the hill.

Cormier hit 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI’s; David Hurtado was 2 for 3 with a double, Nick Leigh 2 for 2 with a double and two RBI’s, Pena 2 for 4 with two RBI’s, Brian Lomeli 2 for 4 with an RBI, Velasquez and Estrella each were 1 for 2.

Douglas’ Coach Levi Salazar said it was cold that day and it took a while for his team to get going.

“Nick pitched a good game and almost got out of there with a no-hitter,” he said.

The JV’s have three games this week.