Bulldogs win 2 of 3 games

For the second straight week the Douglas Bulldogs won two of the three of three games they played last week.

On Tuesday, March 27 the Bulldogs hosted their border town rivals, the Bisbee Pumas in a rare high school night game at Copper King Stadium.

Douglas won the game 11-1 in five innings. Xavier Altamirano was the winning pitcher hurling a no-hitter at the Pumas. Altamirano went the distance, gave up one run off no hits, fanned seven and walked three.

Bisbee scored its lone run in the top of the first when a walk later scored on a Bulldog error.

In the bottom half of the first the Bulldogs sent all nine batters to the plate and scored five runs. Diego Resendiz gave Douglas the lead when his double scored two of the three runners on base. Grant Watkins followed with a two run triple and Christian Dorame’s single scored Watkins.

The Bulldogs added runs in the second and third innings increasing their lead to 7-1.

In the fifth the Bulldogs pushed four more runs across the plate increasing their lead to 10. Altamirano led off the inning with a solo home run and Dorame’s base hit scored Luis Barrios with the 10th run that ended the game via mercy rule.

The Bulldogs finished the game with 11 runs off 11 hits. Resendiz was 2 for 3 with a double and a triple, Watkins 1 for 2 with a triple; Dorame 2 for 3, Altamirano was 3 for 3 with a single, double and a home run. Barrios, Jorge Escalante and Jason Sanez each had a hit.

On March 28 the Bulldogs were in Tombstone for a rematch with the Yellow jackets. Douglas won this game 10-0 as Watkins came one hit shy of throwing a no-hitter allowing his first hit of the game to the leadoff batter in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Watkins would finish the game giving up no runs off one hit, fanning 11 and walking two.

Following a scoreless first two innings the Bulldogs scored three runs off two hits and an error in the top of the third as Escalante, Alex Montano and Fernando Rojas each scored for Douglas.

The Bulldogs added six more runs in the fourth increasing their lead to 9-0 before closing out in the fifth when Joey Urquijo scored the final run.

Douglas had just seven hits this game. Resendiz was 2 for 3, Escalante 2 for 4, Barrios 1 for 4, Rojas 1 for 2 and Altamirano 1 for 3.

On Thursday the Bulldogs hosted the Empire Ravens at Copper King Stadium.

The Bulldogs jumped on Empire taking a 5-0 lead only to then surrender 10 straight runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings falling 10-6.

Roy Aguirre started the game on the mound for Douglas. He left the game in the fifth after injuring his back said his coach Gilbert Rojas. Aguirre would finish the game giving up three runs off four hits, fanning seven and walking two.

Dorame came in to throw in relief and was tagged for five runs off four hits before leaving the game after he was nailed by a line drive in the leg. Coach Rojas said after the game it will be a day or two before they know the seriousness of Dorame’s injury.

Altamirano closed out the game giving up two runs off two hits.

Following a scoreless first inning the Bulldogs scored in the second when Altamirano scored giving Douglas a 1-0 lead. Dorame would later crush a three run home run padding the Dogs lead to 4-0.

Another run in the third gave Douglas a 5-0 lead.

Empire would rally for three runs in the fourth, five in the sixth and close out with two in the seventh taking a 10-5 lead.

Douglas would score its final run in the bottom of the sixth.

Jorge Escalante hit 2 for 3 for Douglas while Altamirano was 2 for 4. Barrios, Aguirre, Watkins, Dorame and Salinas each had a hit.

Coach Rojas said his team just did not play well against Empire.

“We knew they were a good team and we had to be ready,” he said. “We just didn’t get it done.”

Douglas, 13-6, has another three game stint this week. The Bulldogs were at Cienega on Tuesday, will host Willcox today at 4 p.m. at Copper King Stadium and will be in Bisbee Thursday for a 6:30 p.m. night game rematch with the Pumas.

The Bulldogs have just nine games left in their regular season.

Junior varsity

On March 23 the Bulldogs beat Sabino 6-1. Kirt Cormier was the winning pitcher giving up one run off five hits in five innings on the hill. Nick Ortega threw two innings in relief and gave up no runs off two hits.

Ozzie Moreno hit 3 for 3 with two doubles and two RBI’s; Leo Martinez was 2 for 3 with an RBI; CJ Estrella 1 for 3 with a double and an RBI; Bryan Lomeli was 1 for 3 with an RBI; Roberto Velasquez 1 for 2 and Cormier 1 for 3.

On March 21 the young Bulldogs beat Tombstone 12-5.

Nick Leigh was the winning pitcher giving up four runs off four hits in four innings on the hill. Estrella threw two innings in relief allowing one run off one hit.

Velasquez hit 3 for 3 this game with an RBI; Estrella was 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI; David Hurtado 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs; Rogelio Luna 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI; Cormier 2 for 3 with two RBI’s; Michael Arzate 2 for 4 with an RBI; Moreno and Martinez each were 2 for 4; Ortega 1 for 1; Valenzuela 1 for 3 with an RBI and Chris Cruz 1 for 3.

On March 20 the Bulldogs disposed of Desert View 17-5.

Lomeli began the game on the hill and lasted just two-thirds of an inning allowing the Jags to score four runs off two hits. Ortega came on in relief giving up no runs off one hit in five and a third innings before yielding way to Nick Leigh who threw one inning and gave up no runs off no hits.

Montano hit 2 for 2 this game, Hurtado 2 for 3 with 2 RBI’s; Cormier 2 for 4 with two RBI’s and two doubles; Adrian Pena was 2 for 5 with an RBI; Valenzuela and Leigh were each 1 for 3 and Velasquez 1 for 4.