Upstart Basic gains state Legion berth

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Aug. 1, 2002 | 10:49 a.m.

State Legion tourney

At CCSN's Leid Field

Saturday's Games

Las Vegas vs. Gorman, 5 p.m.

Basic vs. Centennial, 8 p.m.

Sunday's Games

Reno vs. Palo Verde, 5 p.m.

Silverado vs. Cim-Mem., 8 p.m.

To an outsider, this week's American Legion Baseball District Tournament might seem like much ado about nothing, with Southern Nevada's 14 non-playoff qualifiers competing for one postseason berth.

The Basic Wolves sure don't see it that way.

On Wednesday night, the Wolves kept their summer season alive, defeating Durango 5-2 at Faith Lutheran High School to capture the District title and earn a spot in next week's Legion State Tournament.

"As young a team as we have, with four freshmen in the lineup, I couldn't be more pleased," Basic coach Mike Kazek said. "That's the kind of ballgame where you prove something. It showed a lot of character."

The Wolves, who finished the regular season 14-14 in league play and tied for eighth place, will join Centennial, Cimarron-Memorial, Palo Verde, Las Vegas, Bishop Gorman, Silverado and Reno in the eight-team State Tournament, which begins Saturday at the Community College of Southern Nevada.

Senior-to-be Frank Blurton tossed a complete-game five-hitter for Basic in the finale, holding the Trailblazers to single runs in the second and fourth innings.

"This is the best performance he's had this summer," Kazek said. "His best, and his most important performance."

Blurton struck out just one batter in the contest, but made it count, fanning Durango's Danny Kelly with two on and two out in the seventh to end the ballgame.

"That's one of the best hitters in the state," Blurton said. "That strikeout was amazing, to go to state. We were underdogs, and no one expected it."

Trailing 2-1 in the fifth inning, the Wolves scored three runs on an RBI double by Kevin Wells, a run-scoring single by Gilly Depoorter and a sacrifice fly by Austin Bales. Basic added an insurance run in the sixth on Ivan Marquez's RBI single.

Marquez and Wells had two hits apiece for Basic while Depoorter had two RBIs. Mike Campo accounted for two of Durango's five hits.