Dove Creek is swinging for the fences in 1A District 1 baseball after delivering a high-scoring 21-13 victory over La Veta at the Ignacio High School field on Saturday. Their first scheduled game against Sierra Grande was canceled.
The Bulldogs (5-7 overall, 2-3 in league) were led by a trio of heavy hitters. Senior Liam Hassell went 4-5 with three doubles and seven RBI, and classmate Sheldon Gardner went 2-4 with two RBIs and four runs. Sophomore Konner Spigner chipped in with 3-5 at the plate, driving in two RBIs and tallying a double.
On the mound, Gardner got the start and went two innings, allowing five runs on two hits while issuing six walks. Beanland took over in relief and settled things down, pitching three innings, giving up just one hit and two runs, and striking out six.
La Veta’s (8-3 overall, 4-0 in league) top performer was senior Logan Tenorio, who went 2-3 with a double, a triple, and three RBIs.
Dove Creek’s bats came out hot, sparked by Hassell, who ripped a double in the first to drive in junior Trevan Ivie. Moments later, sophomore Konner Spigner knocked in Hassell and senior Sheldon Gardner, giving the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead to close the opening inning.
Dove Creek extended their lead with a four-run burst in the second, going up 7-2. La Veta chipped away in the third, narrowing the gap to 7-5, but the Bulldogs answered back, exploding for 10 runs in the fourth to blow the game open.
Ivie kicked it off with an instant double followed by a big hit from Gardner to bring him in. Spigner added another RBI, scoring Gardner, and sophomore Clayton Smith kept the rally going with a hit to help load the bases. Junior Nic Aragon followed with an RBI to bring in Spigner.
The Bulldogs stayed hot at the plate, keeping the bases loaded and piling on runs to build what looked like a game-ending lead. But La Veta swung the momentum back in their favor with a six-run rally in the fifth, cutting the lead to 17-11.
La Veta started the surge with junior Logan Cortez, who delivered a deep hit to drive in both himself and senior Matthew Gonzales. Tenorio followed with another RBI knock, as the Redhawks strung together key hits and took advantage of Ivie’s struggles on the mound his squad’s slow defense.
“It was a mentality thing. I think we started letting things get to us,” said Dove Creek head coach Chris Beanland about the team’s slipup. “We were losing it, so the team went out there and had to refocus. They realized they had to set their minds to it.”
Beanland came in and slowed the Redhawks’ offense, limiting La Veta to six runs in the fifth and just two more in the sixth while the Bulldogs were held scoreless that inning to end the sixth inning, 17-13.
Dove Creek rallied again in the seventh, sparked by their speed on the bases. Beanland started things with a double that brought junior Josh Kibel home, then came around to score along with Gardner on a deep hit from Hassell. Spigner added a final boost with a hit that brought in two more runs to bring the score to 21-13.
Beanland then capped off his strong outing on the mound with a dominant finish, striking out three straight batters in the bottom of the seventh to lock in the Bulldogs’ fourth straight district win.
Beanland has been Dove Creek’s most consistent pitcher this season. With 35 strikeouts across 22 innings, he boasts the highest strikeout rate on the team. His impressive ERA is the lowest on the staff, highlighting his ability to stay calm and in control, especially in key moments.
“He’s been pitching really good all year,” said Coach Beanland. “He did a great job at closing the game for us.”
This victory marks Dove Creek’s fourth consecutive 1A District 1 win, following victories over Sargent, Nucla, and La Veta, and serves as a strong preview for the upcoming district competition on May 2.
The Bulldogs continue their schedule with a visit to Dolores for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday then to Antonito for two games against Antonito and Centennial on Friday. They will close out their regular season with an away game against Nucla on April 28.
