Yuma High School’s baseball team will be facing more challenges in the coming weeks.
Yuma is at home Saturday for a doubleheader against Holyoke. The Dragons entered this week with a 7-4 record and ranked No. 5 in the Class 2A Rating Percentage Index. Yuma also plays a non-league game at Brush on Tuesday.
Yuma entered this week No. 24 in the RPI. Yuma has lost six straight, after getting swept Tuesday at home by Wiggins. The Tigers, now 8-11, also has had its struggles this season, were sitting at No. 25 in the RPI prior to Tuesday’s games.
Yuma, 4-12, dropped both ends of Tuesday’s double dip, 8-3 and 13-8.
The opener was tied at one after the first inning. However, Wiggins gradually started pulling away with two runs in the third, three in the fifth and two more in the seventh.
Yuma finally got back on the board with two runs in its last at-bat, but it was not nearly enough.
Wiggins had only one more hit than Yuma, 8-7. Both teams drew seven walks, and Wiggins actually struck out 13 times compared to seven for Yuma. However, the Tigers were able to capitalize when they had runners on base.
Brody Sheffield had two hits, including a double and scored a run for Yuma, while Silas Baucke hit a double, Jonathan Thomson two hits, Reyli Trejo one run, Hugo Montes one RBI, Angel Escobar one hit and one run, and Carson Lynch one hit and one RBI.
Baucke went the first five innings on the hill. He struck out 11 and walked five, allowing just three hits, but still took the loss. Montes went the final two innings, striking out two and walking two, allowing one hit.
Yuma trailed 6-2 in the nightcap when it parlayed four hits into six runs and an 8-6 lead. However, the former Indians could not generate any offense in its last three at-bats. Wiggins scored one in the fifth and two in the sixth to take a 9-8 lead, then put it away with four runs in the top of the seventh.
Thomson had three hits with one RBI and one run, Baucke two hits, including a double, with one RBI and one run, Trejo two hits, including a double, with one RBI and one run, Marvin Duarte two runs, Jake Hagemeier a one-run double and scored a run, Sheffield one RBI and one run, and Lynch one RBI and one run.
Trejo went the first five innings on the hill, striking out six and walking three, allowing seven runs, three earned, on five hits. Sheffield struck out three and walked two, allowing six runs, five earned, on hits. Montes came on to get the final out in the top of the seventh.
Yuma County rivals Yuma and Wray engaged in a nearly carbon copy contest to the one they played in Yuma the previous week, last Saturday in Wray. This time it was Wray that got the walkoff win in the bottom of the eighth, 9-8, evening this season’s series between the rivals.
Just as in the previous matchup, both teams took turns posting big innings.
Yuma went up 2-0 in the top of the first. The former Indians led 3-2 Wray erupted for five runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 7-3 lead.
However, Yuma came right back with its own crooked number in the top of the sixth, posting five runs of its own to retake an 8-7 lead.
The Eagles responded with a run in the home half to tie the score. Neither team scored in the seventh, sending the game into extra innings.
Yuma did not score in the top half of the eight. Wray then got two batters on base courtesy of walks, followed by a hit driving in the winning run.
The teams combined for 23 strikeouts, 13 by Yuma. Wray had nine hits, while Yuma had eight.
Baucke had three hits, including his third homer of the season, with two RBI and one run. Trejo had one hit and one RBI, Montes one hit and one run, Thomson one hit, two RBI and two runs, Sheffield one hit, one RBI and one run, Escobar one hit and two runs, and Lynch one run.
Baucke and Trejo both spent time on the hill, combining for 10 strikeouts, seven walks and yielding seven earned runs.
