LITTLETON — Dakota Ridge’s baseball victory over Chatfield on Tuesday afternoon came just a few days too late.
Chatfield defeated Dakota Ridge 6-5 on Saturday, May 7, in what essentially the Class 5A Jeffco League championship game with the winner taking the conference title and the automatic bid to the 32-team regional playoffs.
However, the Eagles (11-11 record) responded three days later with a key 4-1 road victory against Chatfield (10-11-1).
“A win over Chatfield is a win over Chatfield,” Dakota Ridge coach Jeff Legault said.
Dakota Ridge got all four of its runs in the top of the third inning. The Eagles batted around despite just getting two hits in the inning. Junior Jake White led off the inning with a double off Chatfield starter Carson Sherrill.
Junior Brady Hoos had a single in between a hit-by-pitch and walk by Sherrill. It looked like Chatfield would escape with minimal damage, but a high popup by sophomore Carson Sauter dropped just behind the mound to score two more runs to give Dakota Ridge a 4-0 lead.
Chatfield junior Parker Murrow belted a long home run over the right field fence in the bottom of the fourth inning, but it was the lone run for the Chargers. White was brilliant on the mound for the Eagles striking out 10 batters before leaving the mound when he hit his pitch-count limit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“It was an awesome job against the league champs,” Legault said of White’s nearly complete-game on the mound.
White hurt his knee right before the start of the 5A Jeffco League season. The plan was White to start the against Lakewood on May 5, but he couldn’t go. The Eagles lost that game 15-5 that started the 3-game losing streak heading into the Chatfield game.
“It was fun to just be out here with my boys and playing again,” White said. “I was just relaxing and staying in the zone. Throwing strikes and not letting them touch it was the plan.”
Dakota Ridge junior Jack Libby got the final out striking out Chatfield junior Sawyer Amato to end the game.
“I was hoping to win one of these three,” Legault said of the three non-league games against Legacy, Chatfield and Valor this week. “A win over Chatfield I believe cements us in.”
Dakota Ridge sat No. 21 in the 5A baseball RPI standings after the win. The Eagles finish the regular season against Valor on Thursday. There are six 5A Jeffco teams all bunched up in the 20s in the RPI standings as the regional tournaments approach on Saturday, May 21.
“We know the baseball we can play and our potential,” White said as the 32-team regional playoffs approach.
Chatfield is the only 5A Jeffco team locked into the playoffs with its league title, but coach Brett Pieratt knows his squad much hit better to make a return trip to the 8-team double-elimination state tournament.
“Our hitters were awful. We just weren’t good today,” Pieratt said of the Chargers’ three hits. “Sometimes you just aren’t good. He (White) was painting the outside corner and we didn’t make the adjustment. He lived there all day. He was good.”
The Chargers finish their regular season at home against Valor on Saturday.
“We want to go in on a high note,” Pieratt said of the postseason. “We have to take care of Valor on Saturday, hopefully have some energy and be going in a positive direction going into regionals.”