MONTE VISTA – The Monte Vista High School baseball team got off to a slow start in its home opener Tuesday at Adrian M. Gutierrez Field. But the Pirates came back to defeat Ignacio by a score of 11-8.
“We didn’t start very well,” Said Monte Vista coach Luke Bradshaw. “We had a bunch of errors in the field. We knew we weren’t out of the ball game. We’ve come back in a whole bunch of ball games. We won a bunch of them last year like that. So we have to figure it out and start better.”
The Bobcats took the early lead with four runs in the top of the first inning. Devante Montoya reached on an error to start the game, and Stoney Whitethunder followed with a walk, and Phillip Quintana singled. Quintana was forced out on Rylan Maez’s ground ball, but Maez was safe on the fielder’s choice, and Montoya scored on the play.
An error allowed Whitethunder to score, and after Gabe Archuleta was safe on an error, Marcus Maez doubled to plate Rylan Maez and Archuleta.
Ignacio scored two more runs in the second. William Lechuga drew a leadoff walk and Montoya followed with a double. Lechuga and Montoya both came home on an error for a 6-0 lead.
The Bobcats scored once in the third. Marcus Maez reached on an outfield error and another error put him on second. Maez scored on Montoya’s groundout.
The Pirates finally got on the scoreboard with six runs in their half of the third. Chase Bouet led off with a walk, and Domyon Naranjo was safe on an error. Kobe Jiron walked to load the bases, and Jakoby Ross singled to score Bouet and Naranjo.
Kaden Mellott reached on an error with Jiron scoring on the play. Azariah Hurtado doubled in Ross and Mellott, and Hurtado scored on Jeremiah Baumgardner’s ground out.
Ignacio scored one run in the top of the fourth. Ambrose Valdez doubled and scored on an error.
Monte Vista took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Jiron started the rally by getting hit by a pitch, and Ross reached on an error in the outfield. Mellott walked to load the bases, and Hurtado was also hit by a pitch to plate Jiron.
Kaden Madrid and Jonah Howe both reached on errors and runners scored on both plays to give the Pirates a 9-8 lead.
Monte Vista scored a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. Hurtado received a leadoff walk and stole second. He scored as Madrid was safe on an error, and Madrid scored on Howe’s groundout.
The Bobcats put a runner on base in the top of the seventh but he was left stranded.
Mellott started the game on the mound. He allowed seven runs and five hits and he struck out two and walked two. Jiron relieved Mellott in the fourth and earned the win. He gave up one run and two hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
The Pirates collected five hits and were led by Ross who went 3-4 with two RBIs.
Monte Vista (2-2) will host Sargent in the Southern Peaks League opener for both teams.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Bradshaw said.
It will be a doubleheader with the first game scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
Monte Vista 11, Ignacio 8
Ignacio 621 100 0 – 8 6 5
Monte Vista 006 302 x – 11 5 7
Whitethunder, Quintana (3, L) and Quintana, Archuleta (3). Mellott, Jiron (4, W) and Madrid.