LITTLETON — Chatfield’s bats are starting to heat up as the Class 5A Jeffco League play edges closer.
The Chargers (3-6-1 record) scored double-digits runs for the second straight game Thursday at Chatfield High School. The Chargers put on a hitting display in nearly a two and a half hour affair against Fairview (1-6).
“The bats have come alive the last couple of games. We are pleased with that,” Chatfield coach Brett Pieratt said after his squad had 17 hits over six innings.
Chatfield took a 19-9 victory that finally ended with sophomore Brady Snow ripping his fourth hit of the game with a 2-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning. Juniors Mason Lowe and Parker Murrow scored to induce the 10-run mercy rule.
“I always look away,” Snow said of his approach at the plate in the walk-off hit. “I feel like I do that everything falls into place. It’s really my approach every at-bat is go the other way.”
Snow led the Chargers’ offensive attack. The sophomore went 4-for-5 with five RBIs and was just a home run short of hitting for the cycle. Chatfield had five players with multiple hit games. Marrow drove in four runs going 3-for-5.
The biggest inning for Chatfield was the bottom of the second where the Chargers turned a 2-0 deficit into an 8-2 lead after sending a dozen batters to the plate.
“We all just wanted to get going,” Snow said of the 8-run second inning where the Chargers roughed up Fairview starting pitcher Trenton Fano for seven extra-base hits. “We just wanted to hit and it came alive.”
Fairview did a little hitting of its own. The Knights scored runs in every inning. Including a 2-run home run by junior Aidan Scott in the fifth inning and a 3-run home run by junior Aidan Armbruster in the top of the sixth that made it a 14-9 game.
“We’ve got to throw some more strikes early, but it will all come together,” Pieratt said of the confidence in his squad that made the 8-team 5A state tournament last season.
Junior Carson Sherrill got the start on the mound for the Chargers and was dominating at times. He struck out nine in four innings of work, but also gave up four runs on seven hits. Junior Chase Neagle pitched the fifth inning for Chatfield. Neagle struck out the side, but gave up a walk before allowing the 2-run home run.
Sophomore Lawson Stocking had back-to-back strikeouts to start the sixth inning, but gave up back-to-back walks before giving up a 3-run home run. Senior Dylan Novotny finished off the inning with the 14th strikeout of the game for the Charger pitchers.
Chatfield’s 5-run bottom of the sixth inning finished off the game and didn’t let the Knights to get back up to the plate.
“It doesn’t get any easier next week with Rock Canyon and Heritage,” Pieratt said of facing a pair of top-10 ranked squads next week before getting into 5A Jeffco League play on April 19 against Ralston Valley. “We need to clean some things up defensively.”