Bears season closes with high hopes for program’s future
Dolores junior Levi Hampton and the Bears battled well with Denver Christian in the opening round of the 2A playoffs, but DHS fell in the game to conclude their season. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
DENVER – When the Bears bus arrived in the capital city, the team that stepped off looked like anything but a No. 28 seed making their first playoff appearance in seven years.
Riding a wave of confidence, Dolores rolled into their match-up with regional host Denver Christian believing they could take down any 2A program in the state. Through a tight contest with the Thunder, the Bears matched the hosts hit for hit, but just couldn’t find the big rally in a 5-1 opening round defeat.
The Bears ran into a program that was somehow more youthful than they are – the Thunder lineup featured mostly freshmen and sophomores – and Dolores starting pitcher junior Levi Hampton pounded the zone to keep the Thunder off-balance. The hosts managed just six hits on the day, including a solo home run from junior Nate Bovasso, but they scratched across runs in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings to build a 5-0 lead.
DHS finally broke through with a run in their last at-bat, with senior Deven Winter scoring on an RBI single from junior Gus Vaughn, but the rally halted there.
Dolores had more base runners (11 to 7), but Denver Christian committed only one error and went on to the victory – later capturing the regional with a win over Fowler.
The Bears capped off the season with a mark of 10-12, and return almost their entire lineup as they continue to construct a formidable program for years to come.
