Durango, Cheyenne get off to good starts in Sunset tourney

Zack Hall

Friday, May 5, 2000 | 11:41 a.m.

With the wind blowing out toward center field, Thursday's 4A Sunset Region Baseball Tournament was bound to be different from Wednesday's games, in which four teams combined to score nine runs.

What resulted was an offensive explosion, with Cheyenne winning 10-9 over Bonanza and Durango drubbing Centennial 17-1 on the Trailblazers' home field.

The Desert Shields' victory was the first playoff win in the 9-year-old school's history.

"We came out a little tight," said Cheyenne coach Dave Snyder. "These kids came in this year really slow. I think as a team we were hitting under .200. I think we've hit over .550 in the last few games."

The Desert Shields benefited from a strong wind to center, getting a wind-aided two-run home run by Justin Stephenson in the fourth inning over the "Purple Monster," the 20-foot high fence 390 feet away. That gave the Shields a 7-4 lead. They tacked on three more runs in the inning.

Adam Lesko, Cheyenne's starter and leadoff hitter, led the way for the Desert Shields, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Lesko also got the win even though he gave up seven runs, four of which were earned, in five innings.

"I didn't use anybody (pitchers) that I (am) going to use on Saturday, so (the pitchers' high pitch count) was not that big of a concern," Snyder said. "Considering it's a week-long tournament, it kind of helps me out with pitching. We're not real deep."

Down 10-7 entering the top of the seventh, the Bengals mounted a one-out rally when closer Ryan Prince surrendered a single to Andrew Smith -- who hit a homer in the first -- and a double to Austin Hales. Both came around to score. But the Bengals' Dustin Molisee grounded out to shortstop to end the game.

In the second game, Durango (24-7) wasted little time in its quest to repeat as state champions.

Centennial (8-22) was the only first-year school to make the playoffs, and its inexperience was apparent against one of the more succesful programs in Las Vegas.

Bulldog pitching was bombarded by the Blazers' hitters, giving up seven home runs in four innings. All 17 runs scored by Durango were earned.

"Your fear is whenever you come into a game when you're probably a better ballclub is letting them hang around and giving them some momentum and belief that they can stay in the game," said Durango coach Mike Gomez. "They've got some good young kids and they're going to be a good club in the future. I'm real happy that we came out and were able to get it done in five (innings) and save some pitching."

Brent Johnson hit for the first cycle in Durango's seven-year history, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Chris Kelly hit two home runs in his first two at-bats, breaking John DiBetta's single-season home run record for Durango with his 11th and 12th of the season.

Durango starter Jeff Jacobsen, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, allowed only three hits in the victory.

The Trailblazers play Cheyenne 1 p.m. Saturday at Durango. Bonanza will play Centennial today at 7 p.m. on the same field.