With five games remaining in its regular season, the Dove Creek High School baseball team’s offense is firing on all cylinders.
Closing out last week on the road against Dolores on April 16, the Bulldogs hit the ball well, but were undone by numerous errors in the field during a 15-14 loss.
Jordan Ernst hit three doubles for the Bulldogs and drove in four runs. The junior also started the game on the mound and allowed four earned runs over three and two-thirds innings.
“I’m really confident when I step up to the plate,” said Ernst. “Sometimes I’m a little too confident and I swing at stuff that is too high or too low, but I’d rather go down swinging than be called out on strikes.”
Dove Creek led 6-2 entering the bottom of the 4th inning before allowing Dolores to score 10 runs in the frame. Seven of the Bears 10 runs in the inning came with two outs.
“That 4th inning seems to be a killer for us,” said Dove Creek manager, Curtis Garver. “We had five innings and that hurt. I think if we would have made that first play, it would have been a different ball game.”
Following its loss to Dolores, Dove Creek hit the road four a doubleheader against Ignacio on April 18 and clubbed its way to two victories.
In the first game of the doubleheader, freshman Derek Kibel had four hits and two RBIs to help Dove Creek win 13-8.
Junior Schultz started the game on the mound for the Bulldogs and allowed six earned runs over six innings to record the win.
In the second game of the doubleheader, junior Spencer Gatlin hit three doubles and drove in four runs to help Dove Creek win, 23-4. Senior Alex Ogas also drove in four runs for Dove Creek, and Ernst pitched and allowed two earned runs in five innings to secure the win.
With its record now at 6-8 on the season, Dove Creek will play at home against Dolores on April 20, before returning to action at home against Ignacio on April 22.