BAYFIELD
A rally for the ages fell just short on time for the Bayfield High School baseball team.
The No. 5 Wolverines couldn’t fully erase an eight-run deficit, losing 11-10 to No. 28 La Junta on Saturday at Bayfield Middle School in the first round of the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 3A District 4 tournament.
La Junta eventually lost to 12-seed University 9-3 in the district championship game. University beat No. 21 Olathe, coached by Durango High School alumnus Darren Sofka, 9-8 in the bracket’s other semifinal.
BHS (16-4) was down 6-0 after the second inning and 8-1 after the third.
“They just had a few key hits that opened it up,” said BHS senior Trey Lange, son of Greg and Michele Lange. “You can’t really field it if they don’t hit it to you.”
The Wolverines scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the bottom of the seventh interesting:
Matthew Knickerbocker grounded out to start the inning.
Zane Phelps then reached on a throwing error and stole second.
Kelton McCoy brought him around with a single to cut the lead to 11-10.
Lange then walked, and Brody Mcghehey reached on an error by the left fielder, bringing Noah Loutherback to the plate with one out and the bases loaded. He grounded into a game-ending double play, sending La Junta to the district championship game and ending Bayfield’s season.
“I thought I was going to have a heart attack,” La Junta head coach Justin Weber said. “That was big. We’ve got a lot of young kids there making plays.”
Cody Knoell picked up the win for the Tigers after allowing eight runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings of work with eight strikeouts.
Mcghehey started the game for BHS, giving up six runs on five hits while issuing one walk and hitting a batter in 1 2/3 innings to take the loss.
Knickerbocker pitched 5 1/3 innings of relief for the Wolverines, giving up five runs on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. He also went 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs batted in.
“It broke my heart; I was crushed,” said Knickerbocker, son of Kirk and Marie Knickerbocker. “But I will say one thing: I’m so glad we did not roll over and quit.”
It was the first loss against a team from the state of Colorado for the Wolverines and the last game they’ll play at Bayfield Middle School. They’ll move to a field currently under construction adjacent to Wolverine Country Stadium on the BHS campus next season.
BHS only will lose three seniors from a team that won the Intermountain League championship and 11 consecutive games. Eight of their players were sophomores that gained valuable postseason experience.
“It’s always hard to lose,” BHS head coach Jonathon Qualls said. “Hopefully they’ll come out with the fire next year and remember what it’s like to lose like this, hopefully not let it happen again.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
