Durango proves it can compete with best in high school baseball

Nick Christensen

Wednesday, March 23, 2005 | 8:48 a.m.

If a moral victory were as good as the real thing, then Durango's baseball team would be having a great week.

Monday, the Blazers lost a one-run heartbreaker to Chatsworth (Calif.), a team ranked 12th nationally in the preseason.

On a soggy field at The Yard at Durango High on Tuesday, the Blazers took what momentum they could get from Monday's game and turned it into a 13-4 victory against Centennial (Bakersfield, Calif.).

Durango starter Mike McClaran overcame a three-run first inning to finish with 12 strikeouts and five hits with no walks in six innings pitched. Eight Blazers scored in the second inning to essentially seal the win, including a three-run home run by Niko Vasquez. Vasquez finished 2-for-2 with three RBIs and a walk.

"The Chatsworth game was a very emotional game," Durango coach Sam Knapp said. "I give our kids a lot of credit, to be able to come back and play well tonight against another quality opponent."

McClaran said the loss was tough, but a good gauge.

"It was a heartbreaker," he said. "It's great to know we can compete with those guys."

Not only did both Durango and Centennial have to deal with a slick field, but occasional rain showers and errant sprinklers from the nearby practice field made a night that began late -- the first pitch wasn't until 8:45 p.m. -- even longer.

By the time the game finally ended at about 10:45 p.m., a steady downpour was again soaking The Yard, and shortly thereafter a thunderstorm ripped through the area.

Still, Knapp said he didn't think the weather had an impact on the contest.

"I think both teams did adjust well," he said.

Durango played again early this morning, with the championships of the Blazer Spring Bash slated for 5 p.m. today.

Once around town

Now, Las Vegas is 5-5 and has the best record in the Northeast Division. Of late, the Wildcats have come on strong, including a seventh-inning win against Coronado.

What gives?

"They've got a lot of fight in them, but they're still making a lot of mistakes," Thomas said. "I don't want to jump to say they've turned it all around because they haven't. They're showing some early maturity."

Thomas is looking for improvement in baserunning and a little more aggressive pitching, but said he's been very impressed with his players' don't-quit attitude.

"We'll get a lead early in the game, or give up a lead, and our kids don't quit, which is good," Thomas said. "But in the middle part of the game, it's still a little rough for us."

"It's good anytime you take a team on the road, it builds a little more team unity and that stuff," Green Valley coach Nick Garritano said. "Coming down here, every game you play is a heck of a game. You're playing a quality opponent out of the San Diego area. You've got to come with your 'A' game every day."

Playing in top form has been a problem so far for Green Valley. While Garritano says his team has been playing good baseball as a team, he's lamented that the Gators have been coasting.

"They're just playing good enough to win," he said. "Hopefully we can work out the kinks before league play starts in a couple of weeks."

But Gomez, who has guided first-year Spring Valley's baseball program to a 7-2 start to the season, including a 9-8 loss to Cimarron-Memorial, has to be surprised by how quickly things have come along for the Grizzlies.

He established a junior varsity American Legion team last summer, and used an extended intramural season to find more talent early. It also didn't hurt that his new school's zone picks up from other good baseball areas, including neighborhoods formerly zoned for Durango and Bonanza.

"We have some good kids with some good abilities," Gomez said. "One of the keys is that we have such a solid coaching staff. Talent and coaches is the combination you're looking for to develop a program."

The Grizzlies don't have a lot of power -- the team still comprises all underclassmen -- but they are hitting .479.

"That's been a huge surprise," Gomez said before Tuesday's game at San Diego. "There are guys in our division that are legit. We're hoping the San Diego trip gives us a little bit more experience."

Brandon Cracraft, a senior transfer from Palo Verde, is hitting .658 with around 30 at-bats this year.

"He's a senior, he spent the last three years at Palo Verde but only played baseball his freshman year," Barnson said. "He didn't play the last two years. He said he just fell out of interest. He moved into our zone, showed up at intramural practice, and this kid can flat-out hit. It's amazing."

Cracraft has pitched -- he earned his first win Monday against Birmingham (Calif.) -- but it's the offense that stands out, especially considering the fact that he hadn't played in so long.

The Mustangs are 4-5 so far this season.