Yuma High School’s baseball team finally is off and running.
Yuma is 1-2 after playing Satuday and Monday. The boys of spring travel to Haxtun on Saturday for a doubleheader. They don’t play again next Thursday at Limon.
The former Tribe made its delayed 2023 season debut last Saturday at Caliche, picking up a 16-0 Lower Platte win against the Buffaloes. The team then was swept at Merino on Monday, 5-1 and 10-3.
Saturday’s high-scoring affair got a boost early on when Silas Baucke hit a home run, helping stake Yuma to a 2-1 lead in the first inning.
The teams were tied 3-3 when Yuma pushed across two more in the top of the third. Yuma went up 7-4 with two more in the top of the fifth, but Caliche answered with two of its own in the home half.
It stayed offensive in the sixth as Yuma racked up five more runs, but the Buffaloes came back with three.
Yuma finally got some breathing room in the top of the seventh with four runs for a 16-9 lead. Caliche was held to one run in the home half as Yuma escaped with a six-run win.
Yuma had 10 hits, while Caliche had eight. Yuma had just one error, while the Buffaloes committed four.
Baucke had the homer and a double with three RBI and three runs scored. Angel Escobar had three hits, including a triple and a double, with three RBI and one run. Victor Perez had one hit and one run, Adrian Carranza one run, Reyli Trejo two runs, Hugo Montes one RBI and two runs, Ethan Gonzales two runs, Jonathan Thompson had a three-run double, Jake Hagemeier a two-run hit, Marvin Duarte one run, Brody Sheffield one hit and two runs, and Carson Lynch one hit and two runs.
Yuma ran out four different pitchers in the season opener. Baucke went the first two innings, striking out five and walking two, allowing two hits and one earned run. Montes went 2-2/3 innings, striking out two, walking three and allowing two earned runs on three hits. Sheffield went 1-1/3 innings, striking out three, walking two and allowing three earned runs on two hits. Trejo went one inning, striking out one and walking two, allowing one earned run on one hit. Yuma issued a total of eight walks and combined for 12 strike outs, while Caliche pitchers gave up 11 walks and had seven strike outs.
Yuma ran into undefeated and Class 1A top-ranked Merino this past Monday afternoon, in a double dip moved up from Tuesday to avoid the wintery weather. It ended up being a decent day, but a rough one on the field for the former Indians.
Yuma struck first with a run in the top of the first. It stayed that way through three innings as Baucke silenced the Merino bats.
However, Yuma kept leaving runners stranded, and Merino finally broke through with three runs in bottom of the fourth. The Rams added two more in the fifth, and Yuma was shutout over the final six frames to take the 5-1 loss. Merino had just one more hit than Yuma, six to five.
Baucke had a double among this three hits. Sheffield hit a double and scored the team’s only run, driven in by Perez’s single.
Yuma struck out 15 times while being shut down by Kaden Piel, who issued just one walk. Baucke went the distance for Yuma on the hill, striking out seven and walking one, allowing five earned runs on six hits.
The nightcap, a non-league game stayed close early until the Rams pushed across four in the third. They added another four in the fourth for 9-1 lead. Yuma generated some offense in the seventh with two runs, but it was not nearly enough. Again, the hits were close as Merino had six, just two more than Yuma.
The former Indians committed three errors to one for Merino. Yuma struck out 10 times and drew only one walk. Three Yuma pitchers, Trejo, Montes and Sheffield, combined for six strike outs and six walks. Only three of Merino’s 10 runs were earned.
Thomson hit a one-run double, Montes had one hit and one run, Carranza one run, Sheffield one hit, and Baucke one hit and one run.
