CLASS 2A BASEBALL REPORT – APRIL 16-18 by Kerry Sherman

CLASS 2A BASEBALL REPORT – APRIL 16-18

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

As the new week begins, the calendar is filled with important contests on a daily basis. Rain showers and winds in excess of 35mph were expected across the Eastern Plains on Tuesday, impacting the schedule, with many games postponed or canceled. All rankings come from Tuesday morning’s release of the Class 2A CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index.

TUESDAY

With a number of big games feeling the bite of Mother Nature, the slate of contests has been pared down. One of the bigger clashes still scheduled to be played as of Tuesday morning had #5 Peyton visiting #25 Rye. Peyton has lost two of its last three, including a 5-3 decision to #11 Buena Vista last Saturday. All five runs allowed came over the final three innings, and six errors led to only one being earned. Rye has won six straight after sweeping Crowley County on Saturday, 16-7 and 15-6. The Thunderbolts got the sweep despite committing 13 errors in the doubleheader, eight in game one.

There’s a big one in the Mile High, with #16 Dayspring Christian visiting #13 Dawson School. DCA is tied for third, while Dawson is tied for fifth. The Eagles have won two in a row, beating Rocky Mountain Lutheran 5-0 last Thursday behind a combined no-hitter from Logan VanIddekinge and Bode Shovlin. The Mustangs took a 9-0 win over RML on Monday, with Jimmy Leuchten and Kehan Cox joining forces on a no-hitter. Leuchten struck out 11 in six innings.

Swink (#10) sits sixth in the Santa Fe, while #37 Rocky Ford is tied for third. The Lions were swept by #2 Las Animas in a doubleheader last Friday, 8-1 and 11-6, snapping a three-game winning streak. Rocky Ford enters having swept Walsenburg on the same day by scores of 11-0 and 22-6. That broke a four-game slide by the Meloneers.

Last Saturday’s win over Peyton was the third straight for Buena Vista, who got two RBI from Nolan Verrier in their three-run fifth. The Demons visit 3A Centauri, who has dropped four of its last five games. The Falcons have allowed 15 or more runs in each of those losses, with the opponent topping 20 twice. They’ve allowed at least 20 runs three times this season.

Limon (#1) went 3-0 last week, including a 10-0 win over 1A #7 Stratton on Friday. Trey Smith tossed a no-hitter and also ended the game in the bottom of the fifth via the run-rule with a home run. The Badgers put their 12-0 record on the line at #17 St. Mary’s. The Pirates have dropped three straight and five of six overall. They were swept by 3A Lamar last Friday, 11-1 and 14-4.

WEDNESDAY

Highlighting a sparse schedule on Wednesday is a Santa Fe clash between #7 Fowler and #24 Dolores Huerta Prep. Fowler has won its last two, both by shutout, with the latter coming against 1A #12 McClave last Thursday, 11-0. At the time McClave was unbeaten and in the top-5 in Class 1A. Gage Gottbehuet threw a five-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts, and also collected three RBI. After winning three games all of last year, Dolores Huerta Prep has already doubled that win total, thanks to victories over Ellicott and Kiowa last week. Cameron Stringfellow had three RBI in the 14-4 win over Kiowa.

THURSDAY

Peyton has another big non-league tilt this week, with the Panthers visiting #14 Ellicott on Thursday. Ellicott had won six straight prior to last Thursday’s 9-3 loss to Dolores Huerta Prep. The Thunderhawks had seven hits in that defeat, three coming from Jedrick Howarth. The senior scored two of the team’s three runs.

Normally, a match-up between #28 Rangely and 3A #38 Aspen wouldn’t move the needle very much, but both teams are playing very well right now and a sweep by either could be the catalyst to make a late-season run. The Panthers swept 1A #20 Dove Creek last Saturday, 9-4 and 21-18 in nine innings. Rangely plated six in the top of the seventh to force extras and then won the nightcap with three in the top of the ninth. Landon Carlson had five hits in that game, including a pair of doubles, and Bradley Lambros had four hits and four RBI. Aspen took a three-game winning streak into Tuesday’s game with Roaring Fork, and the Skiers had scored 49 runs in that span, with at least 14 in each contest.

Twelfth-ranked Sanford dropped its first game of the season on Monday to #15 Monte Vista, 19-1. The Mustangs had scored at least 15 runs in each of their first eight games. They were held to two hits in the loss. Trinidad (#22) rides a seven-game winning streak into the key Southern Peaks contest. The Miners outscored Sargent 38-9 in a doubleheader sweep last Saturday. They scored 19 in both games, and have been in double figures six times during their winning streak.