THORNTON — Four different players homered as No. 2 Fairview cruised to a 12-1 win over Horizon on a windy afternoon Thursday.
Tim Ryan, Walker Harris, Eriberto Chavez and Jeff Clarke each hit a home run for the Knights. Clarke’s shot landed on the street past the field.
Cam Frazier was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs, while Harris finished with four RBIs.
Ryan Madden pitched five innings for the win, his eighth of the season. Madden allowed just one earned run in five innings, and struck out seven against three walks.
LAFAYETTE — The Centaurus girls lacrosse team has been a dominant squad throughout the season.
The Warriors were 11-0 in Colorado entering Wednesday, had outscored in-state opponents 183-61 and are No. 1 in this week’s CHSAANow.com ranking. So, in a sense, Centaurus (12-1 overall) was accustomed to overpowering its opponents this year.
Wednesday’s 13-12 win over No. 4 Arapahoe was different.
In a Centaurus home game at Spangenburg Field, Arapahoe scored eight consecutive goals to close the first half with a 9-4 lead on the top-ranked team. Arapahoe stymied a typically high-powered Centaurus attack as it took momentum time and again by winning draws and applying pressure on goal.
Arapahoe was balanced offensively as five different players scored in the half, led by Kienan Linhardt’s two goals.
“First half, basically we weren’t clicking,” Centaurus junior Sarah Myres said. “We weren’t putting our shots in, we weren’t faking or shooting at the goalie. Last year, we really thrived as a comeback team, we would be down five or four goals and win. We went and talked about that in the huddle and we came back out with a different mentality and we pushed the fastbreak.”
Andrea Kim, a talented sophomore who started as a freshman on Centaurus’ state-runner up team, said the Warriors never lost composure.
“If anything, we were really pumped up,” Kim said about trying to overcome the deficit. “We haven’t really had this close of a game before, so it was really nice to get that competition in preparation for the postseason. I thought it was amazing how our team was able to pull it together.”
Centaurus’ mental fortitude and offensive talent shined in the second half as Kim, Myres and Katherine Burns slashed through the defense for open looks. The Warriors, a team with great quickness and speed, got in the open field and caused problems for Arapahoe.
Myres struck first to make the game 9-5 with twenty minutes remaining. Just over a minute later, Burns scored. Twenty seconds later, Myres scored. Thirty seconds later, Burns scored, and it was a new game at 9-8 with 17:55 to play.
“I just thought that I needed to be more aggressive in the game and drive in and take those shots,” Myres said of the offensive outburst.
Kim and Burns followed her lead, but Arapahoe answered the call with an Alexis Linhardt goal at the 17:43 mark to reclaim a two-goal advantage.
In the end, Arapahoe was unable to cease Centaurus’ momentum as Kim scored three of her team’s final four goals to take a 13-11 lead with three minutes to play.
Arapahoe’s Kate Englert, the team’s leading scorer this season, had a desperation goal with 1:01 left to cut the deficit to one, but Centaurus won the final draw, stalled, and secured its eighth consecutive win.
Centaurus coach Genny Horning credited the win to the players’ cool demeanor under pressure during their first large deficit of the season.
“I think that’s what’s so great about this team,” Horning said. “They’re so mentally tough, they’re super composed, and they’re confident. That just fires them up to play harder and play better. Everybody really wants to play the best they possibly can.”
Kim admitted it’s a growing process learning to play confidently.
“I think taking the draw kind of got in my head when I kept losing it,” Kim said. “As soon as I got on that first run, I thought, ‘OK let’s do it again, do it again, do it again.’ I think for me, it was just working on my mental game a lot.”
Centaurus, with a game remaining against 11-3 ThunderRidge, likely has the inside track to the No. 1 overall seed when the playoff bracket is unveiled Monday. The Warriors have defeated current top-10 ranked teams Air Academy, Colorado Academy, Denver East, Kent Denver, Cherry Creek — and now Arapahoe.
Horning is confident in her team, but knows the path to a possible state championship, which would be Centaurus’ first in girls lacrosse, will be anything but easy.
“I would say there’s a really high-level top eight or nine teams this season, so it’s up for grabs,” Horning said. “Everybody’s showing up, everybody’s working hard, everybody’s getting better. For us, we talk a lot about making sure we’re better every day, every game, every practice. We absolutely have to be better to be able to make a deep run in the playoffs, so we certainly will not rest and take anything for granted.”
Chatfield senior Nick Chamberlain throws to the plate Wednesday during the Chargers’ 5-4 victory against Ralston Valley. Chamberlain gave up just four hits in six inning of work to get the victory on the mound. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
LAKEWOOD — Fittingly, the baseball found Chatfield senior Nick Chamberlain on the final out Wednesday afternoon as the Chargers hung on to down Ralston Valley 5-4.
The senior pitched six strong innings for the No. 5 ranked team in the CHSAANow.com Class 5A baseball state rankings against Jeffco League rival Ralston Valley at Keli McGregor Field at All Star Park in Lakewood. Chamberlain gave up just four hits and an unearned run to allow the Chargers to take a 5-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh frame.
However, the Mustangs (13-5, 3-4 in league) rallied when junior Sean O’Dell took the mound to close the game for Chatfield.
“I didn’t know what to do,” said Chamberlain, who moved to shortstop for the seventh inning. “It was a little nerve-wracking after that home run.”
Ralston Valley senior Daniel Jurney ripped a two-out, three-run home run to cut Chatfield’s lead to 5-4. Senior Jacob Knipp then dropped in a single to bring the game-winning run to the plate, but Jordan Holloway hit a grounder to Chamberlain at shortstop. Chamberlain calmly fielded the ball and fired it to first base for the final out.
Ralston Valley senior Daniel Jurney (17) is greeted at home plate by teammates Mitch Robinson (16), Jacob Gallegos (27) and Jacob Knipp (5) after Jurney’s three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday. It wasn’t enough as the Mustangs lost to Chatfield 5-4. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
“He (Chamberlain) is a good athlete,” Chatfield coach Brandon Stone said. “He made the play when we needed it made. You can’t ask anything more from a player.”
After back-to-back conference losses last week to No. 3 Columbine and No. 6 Arvada West knocked Chatfield (16-2, 5-2) from it undefeated record, the Chargers needed to respond going into the final week of the regular season. They have.
Chatfield put up 20 runs in a 20-4 victory against Standley Lake on Monday. The Chargers can make it three-straight wins and clinch an top three finish in the competitive 5A Jeffco League going into the postseason that begins Saturday, May 10.
“I knew it was a huge game today,” Chamberlain said. “I knew my teammates needed me to come out and perform. I threw a lot of strikes and got them a lot of ground balls. It worked out for us.”
The Chargers’ big offensive inning came in the top of the second. Junior Kyle Winkler led off with a double to start the three-run inning. Senior Matthew Jarecki ripped a RBI single before O’Dell contributed a two-run single to give Chatfield a 3-0 lead.
Chatfield senior Nick Chamberlain crosses home plate in the top of the seventh inning Wednesday. The Chargers tacked on a pair of runs in the inning and were able to hold on to a 5-4 victory against Ralston Valley. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
Chamberlin and Winkler both scored in the top of the seventh inning to extend the Chargers’ lead to 5-1. Winkler finished 3-for-4 from the plate with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.
“It’s real big,” said Winkler of the victory. “This was a really good opponent. We really needed to get this win. Ralston Valley was ready for us. We got their best.”
Ralston Valley senior Jake Griffith took the loss on the mound. They lefty had to leave the game in the top of the second inning with an injury. Senior Mitch Robinson moved to shortstop to pitcher and after giving up the two-run double to O’Dell he was pretty solid pitching into the seventh inning.
“He (Robinson) was really sharp,” Ralston Valley coach Shane Freehling said of Robinson, who gave just four hits and struck out six. “He kept us in the ball game and gave us a chance to win.”
The Mustangs lone run before Jurney’s three-run home run came off an error in the bottom of the sixth inning. Knipp had a strong day at the plate going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
“It shows where you are at. We are even-steven with a team that was No. 1 in the state,” Freehling said. “That was a good baseball game. It was well-pitched and well-played.”
Ralston Valley has lost three of its last four games, but a win Saturday, May 3, against rival Pomona should assure the Mustangs one of the seven wild card spots for the playoffs.
“This team can get hot,” Freehling said. “If they get hot at the right time we are as dangerous as anybody.”
Chatfield closes out its regular season at home against Bear Creek at 11 a.m. Saturday.
“I don’t think our mentality has never wavered,” Stone said of his team’s losses last week. “I think we’ve come back to realize that everything is out in front of us, just like everybody else. We are trying to play every game tough, down to the wire, and see what happens come playoff time.”
Chatfield junior Sean O’Dell (2) forces out Ralston Valley senior Jordan Holloway at second base before completing a double play Wednesday afternoon at Keli McGregor Field at All Star Park in Lakewood. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
