CLASS 2A BASEBALL WEEKEND REPORT – APRIL 19TH-22ND
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
As we’ve come to expect, there’s no shortage of important contests across the state in Class 2A this weekend. From top-20 match-ups inside the classification, to fights with top-ranked teams in 1A, movement in the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index is guaranteed. All rankings used in this report are from the Friday morning release of the Seeding Index, as all games are subject to postponement or cancellation due to the weather.
FRIDAY
It’s a busy few days for #1 Limon, beginning with a doubleheader against #28 Rye. The Badgers have shutout their last four opponents, and five of the last six. They got a three-hit shutout from the combination of Jordan Rockwell and Keon Bandy in a 16-0 win over #16 St. Mary’s on Tuesday. Bandy also homered twice and drove in five runs. Rye had its six-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday, when #5 Peyton rallied to score nine runs in the final two innings to take a 10-3 win. Blake Walton drove in two of the three runs for the Thunderbolts.
Second-ranked Las Animas puts a nine-game winning streak on the line against #36 Rocky Ford in a Santa Fe league DH. The Trojans blasted Custer County 23-3 on Tuesday, with Cordell Reisch and Bryce Dupree both driving in three runs. The Meloneers have dropped five of their last seven, including a 15-4 decision at #10 Swink on Tuesday. Rocky Ford allowed 10 free baserunners on six walks and four hit batters.
Swink also has a Santa Fe doubleheader, with #29 Crowley County visiting. The win over Rocky Ford got the Lions back on track after getting swept by Las Animas last Friday. Swink erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the first against Rocky Ford, and got six RBI from Nate Cabrera, with another four coming from Hunter Bauserman. Crowley County has had three straight decisions go the wrong way, the last two against Rye last Saturday. The Chargers were outscored 32-13 in that sweep, and committed seven errors in each contest.
SATURDAY
Most of the top match-ups on Saturday are of the cross-classification variety. Many of those happen to be in the LPAA, where #3 Holyoke challenges 1A #4 Merino, #5 Yuma visits 1A #1 Akron, and #25 Wray squares off with 1A #3 Haxtun.
Yuma visits Akron, with the Rams coming off a DH sweep of #4 Merino on Wednesday, 7-3 and 7-1. The win in the opener pushed Akron to the top of both the District 5 and LPAA standings. Anderson Filla and Caleb Poss combined on a one-hitter in the nightcap, after Tucker Stahn got the complete game victory in the opener. Yuma’s Silas Baucke hit a two-run bomb as part of a three-run fifth on Wednesday as the Outlaws beat rival Wray 4-2. The Outlaws could not replicate the effort on Thursday, as they were shutout 16-0 by Highland. It was the second blanking in their last three outings.
When Holyoke visits Merino, the Dragons will be seeing their first action in more than a week, with the last trip to the diamond resulting in a 15-4 win at #5 Flatirons Academy last Thursday. Reid Sprague, Wyatt Sprague, Tyson Mosenteen, Colby Weber, and Colton Sporhase each had two RBI in that win, The Rams have dropped three straight and four of their last six games overall. Jaxson Samber had the lone hit in the second game against Akron, doubling before scoring the only run of the game for Merino.
Another cross-classification contest in the LPAA has Haxtun hosting Wray for a twin bill. Wray has dropped its last four games by a total of 11 runs. The Eagles scored twice in the bottom of the first in their rivalry game with Yuma on Wednesday, but could not tack on and lost 4-2. The Fightin’ Bulldogs have been red-hot since getting walked off in the opener of a doubleheader by Merino last Saturday, winning three straight. They got the split by beating Merino 9-6 in game two, and then swept 2A Sedgwick County on Monday, 17-5 and 11-4. Ryland Wolff was a homer away from the cycle in game two against the Cougars.
Another top-10 program will be on the road to tangle with a highly-ranked 1A squad, when #8 Burlington visits 1A #9 McClave. The Cougars have won a season-high four games in a row, thanks to a 16-0 win on Thursday at Calhan. Freshman Lenny Ramirez, making his second start of the season on the hill, tossed a four-inning no-hitter, and helped his cause with two RBI. Dylan Franz, Zack Foose, and Maguire Franz also had two RBI apiece. McClave collected a tough 15-11 win over 1A #8 Eads on Tuesday, scoring 10 or their runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Kielan Mallard drove in three for the Cards, who are hoping to have some arms left after the Friday DH against La Veta.
Trinidad (#20) takes a seven-game winning streak into a non-conference DH with #21 Ignacio, who plated 51 runs in a sweep of 1A #22 Dove Creek on Tuesday. William Mendoza-Lechuga drove home six runs in a 38-17 game two victory. The Bobcats have scored 85 runs in their six-game winning streak. Trinidad has plated 92 runs during its streak.
MONDAY
Top-ranked Limon gets another big test on Monday, with #7 Fowler paying a visit. The Grizzlies take a three-game winning streak into a doubleheader on Saturday against Walsenburg, with the most recent win coming on Wednesday against #24 Dolores Huerta Prep. Landon Johnson drove in four runs in the 20-3 victory.
Dolores Huerta Prep dropped a second straight game during the week, falling 9-2 to Peyton early on Friday. The Scorpions were done in by three errors, leading to six unearned runs. Mason Vider was credited with both RBI for DHP. The Scorpions are in search of the first postseason berth in program history, and they host #23 Colorado Springs Christian on Monday. CSCS entered the weekend having lost three of four and five of its last seven. The Lions have a tough non-league tilt with 1A #11 Simla, as well.
MileHigh Prep Report 