craigdailypress.com

Craig — Going into the Colorado Little League State Playoffs in Colorado Springs, Moffat County Dawgs coach Steve Ivers said his team could win if the Dawgs could hit.

"Great pitching," as Ivers put it, by opposing teams made that much harder.

In the end, the Moffat County 11- and 12-year-old all-star baseball team lost both games in the double-elimination tournament, falling to Tri-Lakes, 3-1, on Saturday, and to Northern Lights, 9-1, on Sunday.

"We just couldn't get our bats going," Ivers said. "We had a couple of opportunities for some timely hitting but : (State) is a big stage and we had a lot of nerves."

In the first game, the Dawgs trailed Tri-Lakes 2-0 in the fifth inning. Ivan Nielsen doubled, followed by a Brennten Ivers single, leaving runners on second and third base. A wild pitch allowed Nielsen to score. Brennten Ivers advanced to third base, but when there was another throwing error by Tri-Lakes, he made an attempt at going home. However, he was called out after "a perfect throw" by a Tri-Lakes' player, said the coach.

Tri-Lakes added another run to the game.

Nielsen pitched five innings in the contest, giving up three hits and two runs.

In the second game against Northern Lights, the Dawgs "were in the game" entering the fifth, down 4-0, said Ivers.

"Errors team-wide" changed that, he said.

The Dawgs' lone run came after a sacrifice fly by Brennten Ivers that scored Tony Alonso.

The Dawgs, 3-2, made it to the state tournament by winning the District 3 championship. The two losses end their season.

"It was a fun season," Ivers said. "Wish we could have had more time with the kids : but it's all about the memories."

Jerry Raehal can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 204, or at jraehal@craigdailypress.com.