Dove Creek baseball tops La Veta 18-3, boosts district hopes

Dove Creek turned one road game in Pagosa Springs into a statement about its postseason path, unloading 18 runs on La Veta and tightening its grip on the Class 1A District 1 race.

The Bulldogs’ 18-3 win on Friday, April 17, was their most dominant of the season and a reminder that a team sitting at 4-9 still has a real shot to matter when district standings settle. Dove Creek opened the game with a seven-run second inning, then kept the pressure on with another big frame later, the kind of multi-inning offense that can swing a small-school playoff chase in a hurry.

Junior Konner Spigner led the charge at the plate with four hits, while freshman Kycen Gritz delivered the kind of production that changes a box score fast, driving in six runs. With only five upperclassmen on the roster this spring, that kind of output from younger players has become central to what Dove Creek can be. Juniors Spigner, Clayton Smith and Cael Beanland were all expected to be regular contributors, and Gritz’s six-RBI night showed how much the Bulldogs are leaning on that group.

Trevan Ivie and Cael Beanland added the kind of pitching and defensive stability Dove Creek needed after building an early lead, combining to strike out 15 La Veta batters. For a program trying to stack wins in district play, that blend of veteran leadership and underclassman production mattered as much as the final score.

The result also carried extra weight because it came one week after Dove Creek beat Sierra Grande by 15 runs, giving the Bulldogs back-to-back lopsided wins at the exact moment they need momentum most. The La Veta matchup has also become a source of high-scoring offense for both sides; the teams played another run-filled game in April 2025, when Dove Creek won 21-13.

After the weekend, Dove Creek was tied with Nucla at 2-0 in Class 1A District 1, a standing that kept regional qualification in clear view. The next game worth watching for Dolores County is Dove Creek’s meeting with Dolores at Joe Rowell Park on Monday, April 20. That matchup mattered because it was the season-series decider and another chance for the Bulldogs to protect their place at the top of the district race.