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Moffat County baseball battles defensively against Highland; home opener set for April 3

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Andy Bockelman
  

Moffat County's Riley Thompson gets set for the play at second base against Highland on Friday, March 22, 2024.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

The wait for Moffat County baseball’s home opener may be pushed a back little further, but the Bulldogs will be all the stronger for it.

MCHS faced off against the Highland Huskies on Friday in Rifle for the Dogs’ first game back from spring break. The result was a 9-2 loss for MoCo, which was scheduled to host the game at Craig Middle School, but instead relocated down south to ensure quality field conditions.

Highland, which is in Ault, had its bats at the ready right away with a three-run first inning and kept the Bulldogs off the bases for most of the game.

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Facing a 5-0 deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning, MCHS caught fire out as Ayden Alexander and Riley Thompson got on base and were driven home by a triple from senior Zaylan Kirby, who blasted the ball to center-right field.

Kirby said he thought he was close to a home run.

“When I was going around first, I thought it was possibly going over the fence. There was a little breeze coming in, so I thought it was possible,” he said. “The past few games, I feel like I haven’t translated that well from last year to this year. It feels good to get a hit like that.”

Despite the momentum, Highland earned another four runs in the final inning and kept the Dogs from doing much else in their last at-bats.

As the starter on the mound, Kirby threw for five innings with nine strikeouts. He was replaced by freshman Owen Hill and Thompson closed the game, the two of them combining for five strikeouts.

With the team still in the early season, Kirby said he’s still working out his pitching mechanics but feeling confident with how the rest of the team can make defensive contributions.

“Sometimes it’s tough, but when you’ve got guys behind you making things happen, it’s easier,” he said.

MCHS is 1-3 heading into this weekend’s league opener Friday in Cedaredge. Moffat County’s home opener is now scheduled for April 3 with doubleheader against Steamboat Springs.

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