Bulldogs fall in semis of Amphi tournament

Playing in two tournaments the first two weeks of the season the Bulldogs played eight games and emerged with a combined 6-2 record.

After going 3-1 at a tournament in Phoenix two weeks ago the Douglas Bulldogs were back in another tournament last week where they also went 3-1.

On Feb. 27 the Bulldogs opened up the tournament and pummeled Santa Rita 20-0.

Ozzy Aleman was the winning pitcher. He went two innings and gave up no runs off no hits while fanning three.

Fernando Rojas threw two innings in relief and gave up no runs off one hit while fanning three.

The Bulldogs scored five runs in the first inning and followed that with five more in the second taking a 10-0 lead.

Douglas finished the game with 16 hits. Watkins was 4 for 5, Aleman 2 for 4, Nick Ortega 2 for 2. Blaze Rose, Jesus Cisneros and Brian Lomeli each were 1 for 2; Fernando Chacon and Roberto Velasquez each were 1 for 3 and Kirt Cormier and Nick Leigh each were 1 for 1.

Douglas’ baseball coach Gilbert Rojas said Santa Rita was very weak and his team did a good job of swinging the bats.

The game was stopped after the fourth inning on account of the 10-run mercy rule.

On Thursday the Bulldogs played two games and won both.

Douglas began the day beating Riverside High School from El Paso, Tex. 8-5.

Grant Watkins started the game on the hill for Douglas and went five innings, giving up four runs off four hits, fanned four and walked five.

Nick Ortega came in and threw two innings in relief giving up one run off three hits while fanning and walking one.

The Bulldogs were down 4-2 going into the top of the fifth when Douglas rallied for five runs off three hits. The big hit came when Comier belted a two run home run to right giving Douglas a 6-4 lead.

Ortega hit 3 for 3 this game while Cormier was 1 for 3, Rose 1 for 1, Leo Montano 1 for 4, Velasquez 1 for 3 and Lomeli 1 for 3.

Later that afternoon the Dogs came back and beat host Amphi 7-4.

Lomeli started the game on the mound and went four innings giving up one run off one hit while fanning six and walking one.

Aleman threw two innings in relief before yielding way to Roberto Velasquez who closed out the game.

The Bulldogs led 2-1going into the top of the fifth and added two more runs to go up 4-1. Cormier then ripped a bases clearing double giving Douglas a 7-1 lead.

Rose and Lomeli each hit 2 for 3 this game while Montano and Velasquez each were 1 for 3 and Cormier 1 for 1.

The 3-0 pool play record put Douglas into the semifinals where they faced Americas High School from El Paso Saturday afternoon.

Cormier , the Bulldogs starting pitcher, walked the first three batters he faced then gave up a bases clearing triple as Americas jumped out to a 4-0 lead enroute to a 9-3 win.

Cormier would last three and third innings and was tagged for seven runs off six hits while fanning three and walking four.

Roberto Velasquez threw one inning in relief before yielding way to Fernando Rojas who would throw two and third innings giving up one run off three hits.

Douglas had just six hits in the game. Rose was 2 for 3, Cormier and Ortega each were 1 for 3, Watkins 1 for 4 and Cisneros 1 for 1.

Coach Rojas said there were 12 teams in the tournament and for the second straight tourney his team did quite well.

The coach said he saw a lot of good things but admitted the walks allowed by his pitchers are something that needs to be worked on.

“We’re young and inexperienced,” he said. “We’re starting to figure out things but we’ll be okay.”

The Bulldogs are at Nogales today before hosting Pueblo and Willcox Thursday and Friday in what will finally be their home opener.

Game times are 4 p.m. both days at Copper King Stadium.

Junior Varsity

In junior varsity play last week the Douglas Bulldogs beat the Buena Colts 6-5 in eight innings.

Buena led 5-0 going into the top of the sixth when the Bulldogs scored three runs cutting Buena’s lead to two. The Dogs tied the game at 5 after scoring twice in the top of the seventh.

After holding Buena scoreless in the bottom of the seventh the game moved into extra innings where Douglas scored a run as Sergio Valenzuela singled with two outs scoring Francisco Romo with the lead and later what would prove to be the winning run. The Dogs then held Buena scoreless coming away with a 6-5 win.

Carlos Estrada and Antonio Lamadrid each threw three innings for Douglas; Estrada giving up five runs off five hits while Lamadrid gave up no runs off one hit. Marcus Gonzalez threw two innings in relief and picked up the win giving up no runs off two hits while fanning four.

Gonzalez hit 2 for 3 and had an RBI; Valenzuela 2 for 5; Romo, Jesus Valenzuela and Rogelio Luna each were 1 for 4 with Valenzuela having two RBI’s.