Spring Valley tops Durango in five innings for second straight game

Jaxson Otis pitched five shutout innings, and the Spring Valley baseball team rolled to a 10-0, five-inning victory over visiting Durango.

It was the team’s second straight five-inning win over the Trailblazers.

“Of course it’s difficult to do something like this because we’re playing a good team, but they just had a bad day,” Spring Valley coach Paul Bassett said. “Every team in our league it’s difficult to get that kind of win.”

This is the fourth game this season Spring Valley (9-1, 5-0 Southwest League) has won in less than seven innings. All of those wins have been against conference opponents.

“It’s important to save pitching and save innings on our kids,” Bassett said. “With the new pitch count rule it’s pretty important. Any kid this age, any time you can save pitches off his arm it’s beneficial. And just as a team for building confidence it’s good.”

Otis allowed five hits and struck out three in his shutout and also went 1-for-1 at with a walk and a sacrifice fly. His lone hit was a two-run home run to left-center field in the second inning.

“Pitcher made a mistake and I just put a good swing on it,” Otis said.

Otis also added a stolen base. He showed patience at the plate Wednesday, but Bassett was more impressed with his starter’s performance on the mound.

“He just did what he needed to do. He pitched very competitively,” Bassett said. “He’s been one of our leaders all year. He’s one of our best pitchers, one of our best hitters and that’s what we expect out of him.”

The Grizzlies jumped on Durango (3-4, 0-2 Southwest League) early with five runs in the first inning after batting through the order. Spring Valley scored three more in the second to pull away.

Otis’ batterymate, sophomore Jonathan Bakken, was 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs.

Spring Valley and Durango finish their three-game series Friday and Bassett doesn’t assume the final game will go like the first two have gone.

“Today is just today and as soon as we leave here today is over,” he said. “They are a quality team and they have quality coaches and they will be a different team when we play them on Friday, that’s for sure.”

Contact reporter Bill Slane at bslane@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4559. Follow @bill_slane on Twitter.