ALAMOSA – The Alamosa High School baseball team began Intermountain League play on Saturday as it hosted a doubleheader with Bayfield at Ortega Middle School.

It was a somewhat successful start to league play as the Mean Moose and Wolverines split the twinbill. Alamosa came from behind to take the opener 5-4, but Bayfield responded with a 16-10 victory in the nightcap.

“It would have been nice to get the two wins,” said Alamosa coach Tony Kechter. “It would have really propelled us into next week because we have a tough test against Cortez. I know they’re the favorites and it would have been nice to come out with two. I can’t complain with one. We battled back in that first one, and in the second one we just had a lapse and we just couldn’t recover from it.”

Game 1

The Wolverines took an early lead in the first game as it scored three runs in the top of the first inning. Micah Cornelia led off the game by reaching on an error and Dante Candelaria followed with a walk. Tavian Box’s single brought Cornelia home for a 1-0 Bayfield lead.

Austin Wilmer then singled home Candelaria, and Sean Ryan’s single plated Box to give the Wolverines a 3-0 advantage.

The Mean Moose scored once in their half of the first. Carlos Garcia and Nelson Arambula both singled, and Garcia scored on Gus West’s groundout.

Alamosa scored another run in the second.  Jonah Pittman led off with a single and he moved to second on Kiko Ruybal’s sacrifice bunt. Brennan Maez was safe on an error and Pittman scored on the play.

The Wolverines came back with a run in the top of the third. Wilmer started things with a double and Josiah Mayfield, who was courtesy running for Wilmer, came home on Ryan’s single.

The Mean Moose scored another run in the third. Garcia led off the inning with a single, followed by a single by West. Jayden Mizokami singled to drive in Garcia to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Alamosa took the lead with two runs in the fifth. Arambula reached on an error and West walked. Mizokami singled to bring home Arambula, and West scored as Maez was safe on an error.

Bayfield put a runner on base in both the sixth and seventh innings. The Wolverine runner was left stranded in the sixth, and the Mean Moose turned a double play to end the game.

Xavier Lujan went the distance for Alamosa and he took the win. He allowed four runs and seven hits and he struck out six and walked three.

The Mean Moose had nine hits and were led by Garcia who went 3-4, Mizokami who went 2-3 with two RBIs, and Pittman who went 2-3.

Game 2

Bayfield again took the early lead with two runs in the first. Cornelia led off with a single and Candelaria doubled. Cornelia scored on Box’s groundout, and Candelaria came home on Cole Wagner’s double.

Alamosa scored four in its half of the first. Tony Griego had a leadoff single, and Garcia was safe on an error. Mizokami singled to plate Griego, and Pittman’s triple scored Garcia and Mizokami. Pittman scored on a wild pitch for a 4-2 Alamosa lead.

The Wolverines responded in a big was with seven runs in the second. Brendan Heydinger was hit by a pitch, and he stole second and took third on a passed ball. Cornelia was also hit by a pitch and stole second. Both runners scored on errors to tie the score at 4-4.

Candelaria beat out an infield single and he also stole second. Box’s single plated Candelaria to put the Wolverines back in front at 5-4.

Wilmer also got hit by a pitch, and Wagner doubled home Box and Wilmer. Ryan tripled home Mayfield, who was courtesy running for Wagner, and Ryan scored on an error for a 9-4 Bayfield advantage.

The Mean Moose scored twice in the bottom of the second. Ryan Higareda drew a leadoff walk, and Griego singled. An error on the play allowed Higareda to score, and Garcia singled to bring home Griego to cut the deficit to 9-6.

Alamosa tied the score in the third. Jaidyn Burciaga and Higareda both walked, and Griego singled home Burciaga, Garcia and Arambula both reached on errors with Higareda and Griego both scoring.

Bayfield regained the lead for good with three runs in the fifth. Owen Eidan led off with a single and Heydinger walked. Isaac Forsythe singled home Eidan, and Heydinger came home on Candelaria’s sacrifice fly. Box singled to plate Forsythe for a 12-9 Wolverines lead.

Bayfield scored another run in the sixth. Brandon Anderson singled, and Heydinger doubled. Forsythe singled to drive home Mayfield and the Wolverines led 13-9.

Bayfield scored three more runs in the seventh. Cornelia had a leadoff single and Candelaria also singled. Box walked to load the bases, and Wilmer doubled home Cornelia and Candelaria. Box scored on Anderson’s sacrifice fly.

The Mean Moose got a run in the bottom of the seventh as Burciaga reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. He came home on Griego’s single.

Ruybal started as Alamosa’ pitcher and he took the loss. He gave up 12 runs and 11 hits and he struck out four, walked one and hit three batters. West finished the game and surrendered four runs and seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

The Mean Moose collected nine hits. They were led by Griego who went 4-5 with a double and two RBIs and Mizokami who went 2-4 with a double and one RBI.

What’s next

Alamosa (2-12, 1-1) will play a single game at Salida on Tuesday.

“I know they’re decent,” Kechter said. “They played Bayfield and it was a close game by one or two runs. So I know it’s not going to be just walking in expecting to win. We’re going to have to fight to win that one to.”

First pitch is at 4:30 p.m.

Alamosa 5, Bayfield 4

Bayfield 301   000   0 – 4   7   4

Alamosa 111   020   x – 5   9   1

Wilmer (L), Anderson (6) and Forsythe. Lujan (W) and Garcia.

Bayfield 16, Alamosa 10

Bayfield 270   031   1 – 16  18   4

Alamosa 423   000   1 – 10    9   3

Wagner (W), Anderson (, S) and Forsythe. Ruybal (L), West (5) and David, Garcia (3).