Baseball Game Preview: Nucla Mustangs vs. Dove Creek Bulldogs

The Nucla Mustangs will head out on the road to square off against the Dove Creek Bulldogs at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

Nucla took a 15-run loss the last time they faced off against Ignacio, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Mustangs had just enough and edged out the Bobcats 4-3.

Jake Hulst spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on nine hits.

Josh Platt

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/08/25 vs Ignacio	2
03/22/25 vs Rangely	1
03/22/25 vs Rangely	1
05/03/24 vs Sierra Grande	1
04/26/24 @ Rangely	1

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Josh Platt, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Jackson McCabe, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, Dove Creek posted their closest victory since May 11, 2024 on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Dolores, sneaking past 7-5. The Bulldogs' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

Cael Beanland made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over 4.2 innings pitched. Beanland was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Those RBI were his first of the season.

In other batting news, Josh Kibel was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Sheldon Gardner was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.

Dove Creek's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-5. As for Nucla, their record is now 2-3.