MEEKER I The last of the regular season games were held in Meeker last Friday, the Cowboys hosted the Paonia Eagles in a league double-header. The Cowboys were 4-12-1 going into Friday’s games with a 0.298 win percentage that didn’t seem to stack up well to the number two ranked district 3/5 league team.
In the opening game, the 9-6 Eagles could not get their bats going against sophomore Josh Murphy who pitched an entire game.
“Murphy’s pitching was backed up by good defense and a lot of run support,” commented head coach Donald Blazon.
With a final score of 16-5, the game ended after the top of the fifth when the Eagles failed to score enough against the Cowboy’s defense to stop the mercy rule from coming into play. Braydon Garcia, Ryan Phelan, and CJ Wagnild batted 100, scoring a total of five. Cole Rogers and Luis Villalpando each scored three; nearly everyone in the line-up contributing to the 16 points.
In the second game, Meeker was up 2-1 at the end of the first, but couldn’t find a way to score in the next four innings. Finally scoring another two in the bottom of the sixth; it was just too late. The Eagles were up 6-4 in the sixth and then added three more unanswered in the seventh for a final score of 9-4. Once again Rogers and Villalpando put up scores along with Jose Garcia and Murphy. Defensivley, throwing out 122 pitches, Rogers, Garcia, and Eli Hanks pitched 33 at bats.
“The second game was a hard-fought loss,” said Blazon, “the boys really played well. They are peaking at the right time going into the pigtail with Rangely.”
What turned out to be the final game of the season, the Meeker Cowboys traveled to Rangely to take on the Panthers in the district pigtail Tuesday. The Cowboys came out strong scoring four in the first two innings. A few mistakes on defense and it was soon 4-8, the Panthers, in the bottom of two. The Cowboys were unable to bounce back and by the bottom of the third Rangely took an eight-point lead. With a final score of 14-8, it was a Panther victory.
The final 2019 Cowboy baseball season record is 5-14-1.
By TIFFANY JEHOREK | Special to the Herald Times
