MEEKER I Over the weekend, the Meeker Cowboys’ baseball team made the four-hour venture to Hotchkiss for a doubleheader, only to be turned away in both games.
As sunny 60-degree weather was a dramatic difference from last week’s freezing wind and occasional snowflakes, the team had high spirits for the games.
The starting lineup for the Cowboys included Kenny Kohls, Alex Smith, Jeremy Musgrave, Ben Fitzgibbons, Dylan Mobley, Tanner Matrisciano, Scott Smith, Chevy Mohr and Matt Frantz.
The first three innings remained low in scoring with only one run scored by Hotchkiss.
The fourth inning contained all the action, as three runs for Meeker were scored by by Alex Smith, Jeremy Musgrave and Ben Fitzgibbons. Unfortunately, 13 runs were scored Hotchkiss.
Musgrave’s run also became a run batted in (RBI) and Tanner Matrisciano’s two RBIs contributed to the other two runs.
Musgrave pitched most of the first game, assisting the Cowboys’ effort by striking out six batters. He was relieved by Dylan Mobley, who struck out one more.
After the fifth inning, the mercy rule was called, with the final score 14-3 in favor of Hotchkiss.
The second game was played with the same starting lineup, with the exception of right fielder Nate Walsh, who was substituted for Mohr after Mohr suffered a leg injury in the first game.
The second game started off with two runs made by the Bulldogs in the first inning, no score in the second, one more in the third, and four runs in the fourth.
The fifth inning was uneventful, followed by the Cowboys’ only run of the game, made by sophomore Matt Frantz in the sixth inning, when he was brought in by an RBI from senior Alex Smith.
Smith also logged six more strikeouts against the Bulldogs.
With no additional scoring in the seventh inning, the game finished with Hotchkiss winning,7-1, dropping Meeker’s record to 1-3.
On Saturday, the team takes to the road for a third time with a doubleheader in Paonia, against the Eagles.