Enough of that patience nonsense.
After going nearly three years without a victory prior to notching their only win of the 2024 season, the latest version of the Patagonia High School baseball team wasn’t in the mood to waste any time.
The Lobos got their 2025 season started on a winning note, treating the home fans to a 9-7 victory over San Miguel on Feb. 26 and giving Ryan Shore a victory in his head-coaching debut.
To provide some context, the same two teams met in the 2024 season opener, with San Miguel prevailing by a 27-9 score.
“It feels amazing,” said sophomore pitcher Kannon Shore, Ryan’s son. “Getting one right off the bat feels great.”
Shore played a big part in the victory, pitching the first four innings and allowing only two runs. He struck out nine batters over the first three innings, and at the plate he contributed a sacrifice fly to provide an insurance run in the fifth.
“The arm felt good,” he said. “I still need to throw more strikes, but it was good for the first day. The energy is really good here; we’ll try and make it better.”
Senior Johnny Fields pitched the final three innings as the Lobos held on despite a couple of defensive miscues.
The Lobos led 6-2 after four innings, then rallied for three runs after San Miguel tied it up in the top of the fifth. Lulu Donnelly reached on a walk, Fields followed with a single, and both came around to score on a double down the left-field line by Miguel Albarran. Shore’s sacrifice fly supplied the inning’s final run.
Throw strikes, make the easy plays in the field and don’t beat yourself is Ryan Shore’s mantra for the season. Easier said than done, but the first-year head coach saw some promising developments.
“We’ve got a lot of stuff to work on, but they’re picking up on the fundamental stuff, they’re doing the right things, and we’re not making those compound mistakes,” he said. “Even when we make a mistake, I tell them all the time, that’s baseball, just don’t make three in a row. But overall, for our first game and only having two weeks of practice, they handled themselves pretty well.”
San Miguel managed only four hits off of Shore and Fields but took advantage of eight walks and three hit batters.
“Kannon did a great job when he was over the plate,” Ryan Shore said. “We need to work on getting ahead of guys and staying ahead of guys, but he was pretty sharp once he got rolling there, and Johnny came in and held them where they needed to be.”
The Lobos play their next three games on the road before returning home to host Valley Union on March 12.