CENTENNIAL — Blake Goldsberry threw seven innings of an extra-inning win, allowing just two hits, as No. 3 Cherry Creek baseball beat Eaglecrest 3-2 on Saturday.
Goldsberry (6-1) allowed just two earned runs and struck out eight to two walks. Cody Wood pitched a perfect eighth inning to get the save, striking out two.
Freshman Tanner O’Tremba hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to break a scoreless tie. It was his fourth home run this season.
Eagelcrest’s Brandon Hernandez tied it with a two-run shot of his own in the bottom of the seventh.
In the eighth, Cherry Creek’s Aeneas Roberson singled, stole second, then third, and was driven home on Blake Benedetti’s RBI single.
Eaglecrest’s Tommie Johnson took a tough loss, throwing all eight innings for the Raptors.
DENVER — No. 3 Cherry Creek beat No. 7 Mullen on Friday, marking the Bruins’ second win over the Mustangs this week.
Cherry Creek turned a triple play at the most opportune time. Mullen had the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, but a line drive was caught at first base, a runner at first was tagged, and then a another runner at second was forced out after not tagging up.
Friday’s contest was a completion of a game that was suspend in the third inning on Wednesday.
With the win, Cherry Creek now has sole possession of first place in the Centennial League at 8-1 in league play. The Bruins are 12-2 overall.
NIWOT — Niwot and Silver Creek girls soccer fought to a draw in a Northern League game Thursday.
Despite an onslaught of Niwot shots and a few Silver Creek chances in the second half of overtime, the score remained tied at the final buzzer.
The game was scoreless until Niwot’s Sarah Sypher finally struck first in the 73rd minute. The lead was short-lived, as Silver Creek’s Lauren Martin knotted the game at one a minute and a half later.
Silver Creek stays atop the Northern League at 4-1-1 (7-4-1 overall), with Niwot close behind at 3-1-2 (6-2-3).
Brody McGhehey is among a host of big sticks Bayfield has at its disposal this season. (Courtesy of Joel Priest)
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith the way Bayfield’s baseball team has punished opposing pitchers this season, it’s almost as if the Wolverines are taking out the frustration of last year’s spoiled postseason hopes every time they swing the bat.
Class 3A’s fourth-ranked program has not forgotten the sting of what happened last May on its home field in the opening round of the District 4 tournament. Seeded fifth overall and seemingly well on its way to another trip to the double-elimination state tournament in Greeley, Bayfield was stunned 11-10 by No. 28 La Junta.
There are no second chances in district play – for the Wolverines, it was a one-and-done showing that left the players with an empty feeling.
“All throughout the offseason we talked about the feeling we had after; that was kind of our fire,” Bayfield’s Kelton McCoy said. “We had tough workouts and our coach was always saying, ‘Remember that game, remember that feeling.’
“I think we have something to prove after getting knocked out in the first round last year. I think we are all fired up and ready to take another shot at it.”
The Wolverines (12-2) have won 12 of their past 13 games since dropping the season opener, with the only loss in that stretch coming to 4A Pueblo South. The team is averaging 12 runs a game with a combined batting average of .420, and the squad has unloaded an impressive 20 home runs.
McCoy has led the way, hitting .592 with a team-high eight home runs and 34 RBIs. In fact, 16 of the junior’s 29 hits have gone for extra-bases.
“I hit the weight room really hard, even after my freshman year,” said McCoy, who had nine doubles a year ago but no home runs. “I knew I could hit the ball well, but the fact that I hit the weight room and made my mental game better on which pitches to hit, I think that’s really helped me to improve.”
McCoy is one of five current players who started as sophomores in 2014, along with Zane Phelps, Brody McGhehey, Noah Loutherback and Taed Heydinger.
That quintet has combined with seniors Mathew Knickerbocker, Anthony Chamblee, Colter McMinimen and Dillon Hoselton to make the Wolverines’ offense one of the most potent in the 3A ranks.
“We still had a sophomore (Phelps) hit seven home runs last year, and I think some of those other sophomores were hitting some doubles and stuff,” Bayfield coach Jon Qualls said. “But we had to really square the ball up well to put something in the gap. Now they’re all a little bit stronger and bigger.”
It isn’t all about power for the Wolverines – Chamblee has 17 stolen bases, and the team has drawn 53 walks compared to only 66 strikeouts.
Bayfield’s Taed Heydinger is 4-0 with a 0.37 ERA. (Courtesy of Joel Priest)
Nor is it all about offense. The defense is solid with a .939 fielding percentage, and on the mound the squad has a cumulative ERA of 2.37. Heydinger is 4-0 with a 0.37 ERA, and Knickerbocker hasn’t allowed an earned run in 16 innings of work.
Five players have pitched at least 10 innings.
“It’s a pretty huge deal to have that many options for pitching. We’ve really got six pitchers and they all throw pretty well. I wouldn’t say for sure we have a 1-2-3-4, they’re all pretty close to the same,” Qualls said. “Mathew has been throwing lights out, and same with Taed.
“We have a pretty good defense this year that’s also helped them out of jams as well.”
Given Bayfield’s proximity to other programs around the state – the town is located just east of Durango in southwestern Colorado – it isn’t always easy to load up the schedule with 3A powers.
The Wolverines added games with the likes of Pueblo South and St. Mary’s this season in order to better prepare for the playoffs. Qualls said in the past he believes there has been a mental block when it comes to facing opponents on the other side of the state, simply because those teams have a bigger variety of opponents from which to draw.
“I think this gives them a little bit of encouragement that they’ve already played those teams and they know they can play with them,” Qualls said of beefing up the schedule. “We all put our cleats on the same way. It’s still baseball, no matter where you come from.”
Should Bayfield return to the state tournament, the team believes it has the tools to be in the mix, including a deeper pitching rotation. There’s also the hunger that has remained with the team since that fateful day last May against La Junta.
“Most of us juniors, we’ve been friends since first grade,” McCoy said. “I think that loss last year really brought all the classes together and made us realize we’re a lot better than what we showed last year.”
Bayfield is out to avenge last season’s stumble in the postseason. (Courtesy of Joel Priest)
LITTLETON — Maxwell Tennant had four goals and two assists as top-ranked Cherry Creek boys lacrosse held off No. 5 Arapahoe 9-6 in a Class 5A game on Wednesday.
Michael Morean added two goals and an assist, while Asher Nolting had a goal and two assists. Connor Till and Dylan Johnson also scored.
Cherry Creek goalie Benton Adams made 11 saves.
Brian Wilson led Arapahoe with a goal and two assists.
Fruita Monument’s Dylan Row. (Courtesy of Rachelle Row)
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]ood, solid seasons have not been uncommon for the Fruita Monument baseball team the past several years. What it’s doing in 2015, however, is definitely out of the ordinary.
“Part of it is we have a lot of seniors (nine),” said coach Ray McLennan, who is in his eighth season guiding the Wildcats. “We had a pretty good record last season and we fell on our face a little bit and I think that actually helped us because it created a little bit of a chip on our shoulder.
“The kids realized that every game is a challenge and just because you won the last one doesn’t mean you are going to win the next one. We have a sense of urgency and have learned from our failures.”
The Wildcats made the playoffs last year, but were ousted by Arapahoe in the first round.
There actually is a long history of tradition within the program.
Fruita Monument has won two baseball state crowns in school history in 1993 – a 5-3 decision over Mitchell in 5A – and in 1970 a 13-2 victory over Las Animas in Class AA.
The Wildcats also lost in the 1989 AAA finals to Air Academy 7-4 and were upended in the 1964 Class A championship 7-6 by Fort Lupton. In 1959, Fruita Monument lost to Cheyenne Mountain 9-6 in the Class A title game.
This season, Fruita Monument has an outstanding .420 team batting average, paced by junior Cuba Bess who has a .600 average with four home runs and 37 RBIs. Senior Sam Graf (.518), junior Sam Schroeder (.467), and seniors Chris Cordova (.473) and Dylan Row (.442) also have been stellar at the plate.
“Honestly, 1 through 9, we don’t have any gaps in our lineup. Pitchers can’t rest,” McLennan said. “It is a good problem to have. My guys do a good job of attacking pitchers.”
Row, who has started at shortstop the past three seasons for Fruita Monument, is thrilled to be a part of this winning streak.
“It has been crazy, and a whole lot of fun,” the 6-foot, 160-pound Row said. “We have continued to work hard and we have enjoyed this because it doesn’t happen all that often. I think the biggest difference this season has been our consistency with our pitching and hitting.”
Graf, an outfielder and pitcher, concurred with Row.
“This season has been great,” Graf said. “We all know that we have something special here this year, and we want to take that as far as we can because a lot of us will never get another opportunity to achieve so much, and we realize it and that’s what keeps us motivated.”
In terms of pitching, Schroeder (6-0), junior Devon Canup (4-0), and Graf (4-0) have been the top starters, while senior Conner Harmon (1-0) has been very good in relief.
“Sam is a big strong kid,” McLennan said. “The growth he has made from his sophomore year to his junior year has really been impressive.”
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Schroeder quarterbacked the school’s football team and has 58 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings pitched.
The Wildcats close out the regular season next week with games against Grand Junction, and Grand Junction Central. A sweep will guarantee them the Southwestern League championship.
“That would be huge if we can win league,” Row said.
McLennan is well-versed in the history of prep baseball in Grand Junction. He played for his father, John at Grand Junction Central High School, graduating in 1984. The younger McLennan went on to play baseball at Mesa State College, now known as Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, from 1985-88.
“He is one of my volunteer assistants,” said Ray about his dad. “He’s 74 years old and he had hip replacement surgery and he doesn’t move around real well, but he was out hitting fungoes with me (Wednesday) and he keeps score for us in the dugout and his wisdom and insight is very good.”
In McLennan’s first seven seasons at the helm of Fruita Monument the team made the playoffs five of seven years, but has yet to get past the first round.
“This has been one of those years as a coach, I don’t ever want it to end, it has been fun,” McLennan said. “We are just trying to play one game at a time and worry about that opponent only. We have a long ways to go to get to that point (of winning a state championship this season), but it would certainly be exciting if that happened. It has been a good ride and the community is really rallying around our guys.”
BROOMFIELD — Makena Bambei won the game twice for No. 6 Broomfield girls soccer in overtime against Boulder on Tuesday.
She had a game-winner taken away from her, only to score again seconds later.
With 3:41 to go in the first overtime, Boulder’s Ellie Huettel got called for a handball, but Bambei put the ball in the back of the net. The referees initially counted Bambei’s game-winner, but then took it away to give a free kick for the handball.
The do-over didn’t seem to bother Bambei, who proceeded to bury the free kick in the back of the net for the 2-1 win.
Anna Boylan scored the lone goal for Boulder in the 12th minute. Bambei netted her first goal in the 46th minute.
