The Yuma High School baseball team’s final home game of the regular season will be Tuesday when Brush comes to town.
The Outlaws could be back on the home diamond if they can get some key wins and host a regional later this month.
Yuma entered this past Tuesday’s doubleheader at Wiggins with a 7-5 record, snapping a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 win at Wray last Saturday. The Outlaws were No. 10 in the Class 2A CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index.
They have a chance to move back into the top eight, and host a regional, as they play two at Holyoke on Saturday, and also have a double dip at Burlington on May 11. Holyoke was 7-6 and No. 6 in the Index earlier this week, while Burlington was 11-6 and No. 7.
Weather conditions messed with the Outlaws playing schedule last week.
A doubleheader with Akron originally set for April 20 was rescheduled into a single game this past Friday. However, rains on Thursday resulted in the starting time to keep getting pushed back until the game finally was held at 5 p.m.
It was a great game, but Yuma lost its third straight, 4-3. It also was a very painful loss to the No. 1 team in the 1A Index.
Yuma’s first two batters of the game reached base. However, both were caught off first by lefty pitcher Tucker Stahn, resulting in two outs on the base paths.
Akron eventually plated three runs in the third.
However, the Outlaws responded with a recently-rare three-run outburst of their own in the top of the fourth. Hugo Montes and Lennox Huwa each hit doubles, and both also scored, along with Silas Baucke scoring, and Marvin Duarte and Christian Thomson both driving in a run.
Yuma retired the first two batters in the bottom of the fourth. However, a two-out walk was issued to the No. 9 batter, who then advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw. Brock Swedlund made the Outlaws pay with a double to drive in the go-ahead run.
It turned out to be the winning run as the Outlaws could not generate more offense in its last three at-bats.
Baucke took the pitching loss despite a strong outing. He struck out 11 and walked two, yielding six hits over six innings. Three of Akron’s runs were earned. Akron’s Stahn allowed three earned runs over four innings on seven hits, striking out four and walking three. Alex Bowin shut down the Outlaws over the last three innings, striking out four with no walks and no hits.
Reyli Trejo had one hit, Alex Pensado one hit, Thomson one hit and one RBI, Montes a double, one run and one RBI, Huwa a double and one run, Duarte one RBI, Baucke one hit and one run, and Carson Lynch one hit.
Rain overnight Friday into Saturday initially led to Yuma’s home game against Wray to be pushed back one hour to 12 noon. The game site then was changed from Yuma to Wray due to field conditions.
Despite it being scheduled as a Yuma home game, the Outlaws ended up being the visitors when it arrived in Wray.
It mattered little though as the Outlaws beat their rival for the second time in less than two weeks at Baker Field, this time 4-1.
It was another defensive struggle between the Yuma County teams.
The Outlaws did score one run in the first, but missed an opportunity to tack on more. They got another run in the fifth, but Wray answered with its one and only run, trailing just 2-1.
However, the Outlaws got some breathing room in the seventh when Baucke launched a two-run homer into the North Fork of the Republican River beyond the left field fence. It was his second dinger this season at Baker Field.
That was more than enough as the Yuma pitching kept the Eagles’ bats silenced.
Reyli Trejo was one out from a complete-game win when he hit the pitch limit. Angel Escobar came on to get the final out. Trejo scattered four hits over 6-2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking three. Escobar struck out the only batter he faced.
Yuma finished with seven hits, including the homer and two doubles. Baucke finished with two RBI and two runs, Huwa had a double and scored a run, Escobar had two hits including a double and scored a run, Trejo two hits and one RBI, Montes one RBI, and Lynch had a hit.
The Outlaws played another marathon Tuesday doubleheader, this time at Wiggins. They won the opener 9-4, but dropped the nightcap 22-17.
Yuma led 6-1 after its first two at-bats, including four in the second. Wiggins answered with three in the bottom of the second. The Outlaws eventually pulled away with two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Trejo had four hits with a double, three RBI and two runs, Lynch two hits and two RBI, Huwa had a triple, one RBI and two runs, Baucke had a double, one RBI and one run, Pensado one hit, Montes one hit and one RBI, Escobar one hit and two runs, and Tanner Himes two runs.
Baucke got the pitching win, striking out five and walking seven over 5-1/3 innings. Escobar got the save, striking out one over 1-2/3 innings.
Both teams pitched by committee in the nightcap. Yuma led 4-2 after the top of the third, but it then all fell apart as the Tigers scored five in the home half and 10 in the fourth. The teams combined for 25 hits, 18 walks and 10 errors.
Escobar had four hits with a double and a triple, three RBI and four runs, Huwa three hits with a double, three RBI and three runs, Montes two hits with a triple, two RBI and two runs, Baucke three hits with a double, four RBI and two runs, Thomson two hits, one RBI and one run, and Duarte two hits and one run.