CLASS 1A BASEBALL REPORT – REGIONALS
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
It’s regional weekend in Class 1A and by the end of the round, the field will be pared to the final four. Per the CHSAA bulletin, the four highest district champions will host a region, and the remaining champ will receive the #5 seed and play in the region hosted by the #4 seed. The games are listed in bracket order.
REGION ONE AT AKRON HS
#1 AKRON (17-4) VS #16 SARGENT (9-8)
After taking a 3-2 win over #7 Merino in the District 5 semifinals, Akron won a wild 17-12 title game over #6 Haxtun. The Rams led 7-0 entering the bottom of the third, until Haxtun scored 12 unanswered over the next three innings. Akron regained the lead with six in the sixth, and added four insurance runs in the seventh. Tucker Stahn drove in three runs and scored three of his own, while Anderson Filla had two RBI and three runs scored. The Rams stole 13 bases, three apiece by Caleb Poss and Clay Axtell. Just a few days after dropping a 17-2 contest to La Veta in the regular season finale, Sargent got revenge in the District One semifinals, beating the Redhawks 21-8. That win earned the Farmers an automatic bid into the regional bracket. They were then handed a 17-2 loss by #5 Nucla. Tytus Atencio went 4-5 with a homer, double, and six RBI in the win over La Veta. Paul Neal had two of the team’s four hits in the loss to Nucla.
#8 OTIS (15-6) VS #9 HOLLY (13-7)
Otis held a 6-4 lead over Haxtun after three frames in the D5 semifinals, and still led 6-5 heading to the sixth. The Bulldogs allowed two runs in that inning and could not respond, falling 7-6. Paxton Davis went 2-4 with two doubles and two runs scored, while Milo Kendrick had a pair of RBI. Holly had its 12-game winning streak snapped in the D4 semis by Cheyenne Wells, 5-3. Cheyenne Wells scored two in the top of the seventh to take the win. Drayden Williams was 2-3 with two RBI, and Tony Merez was the only other Wildcat with multiple hits. Merez was 2-2 on the day.
POSSIBLE REMATCHES
None of the teams played during the regular season.
REGION FOUR AT SIMLA HS
#4 SIMLA (14-4) VS #13 LA VETA (13-5)
Simla did not allow a run in the D2 tournament, beating Kiowa and Elbert by identical 10-0 scores. Those victories ran the winning streak of the Cubs to nine. Caston Cox tossed a two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts in the Kiowa game, and T.J. Eurich stole three bases and scored three runs. Eurich was tough on the mound against Elbert, throwing a no-hitter with 11 K. La Veta was tied with Sargent at three runs apiece entering the top of the sixth, before the Farmers erupted for seven in the frame. They added 11 in the seventh to grab the 21-8 victory. Logan Tenorio doubled and drove in three for the Redhawks. He also had two stolen bases. Matthew Gonzales and Logan Cortez had two hits apiece.
#5 NUCLA (12-8) VS #12 ROCKY MOUNTAIN LUTHERAN (9-6)
Nucla made it three straight wins over Dove Creek in a matter of days, as the Mustangs took a 13-2 win in the D1 semis. Jackson McCabe and Jace Bonacquista had three RBI apiece in the victory. The Mustangs then avenged a recent defeat by Sargent, pounding out 15 hits in the 17-2 title game win over the Farmers.Brycen Hummel went 3-4 with a triple, double, and seven RBI. Bonacquista and Paxtin Caruso added three RBI each. With only two teams in D3, the squads went right to the championship game, with only the winner being guaranteed an automatic berth. After a 10-0 loss to #3 Flatirons Academy, Rocky Mountain Lutheran had to rely on the Selection and Seeding Index to get into the bracket. The Eagles had no hits and only had three baserunners. Aidan Maurer, Noah Lile, and Gio Delgado all drew one walk.
POSSIBLE REMATCHES
La Veta took an 11-8 win over Nucla during the regular season, scoring the game winning runs in the bottom of the sixth. Tenorio had three RBI for the Redhawks, while Caruso was 3-4 with two RBI for the Mustangs.
REGION THREE AT FLATIONS ACADEMY
#3 FLATIRONS ACADEMY (14-5) vs #14 CALICHE (7-13)
After having a three-game winning streak snapped in the regular season finale, Flatirons Academy got back in the win column with a 10-0 decision over Rocky Mountain Lutheran in the D3 title game. Parker Wilson, Jayden Martinez, and Micah Doughty combined on the five-inning no-hitter. Each walked one batter, and they combined for nine strikeouts. Wilson and Braxton Kelley had three RBI apiece, and Conner Odell scored three runs. Caliche did not make it out of the D5 quarterfinals, falling to Otis 10-3, but the depth of that district helped carry the Buffs into the regional round. The Buffs held a 3-2 lead entering the bottom of the fifth in that loss, before giving up a seven-spot in the frame. Zander Yost and Caleb Kloberdanz had two hits and an RBI apiece. Mason Hernandez also collected an RBI. Flatirons Academy owns a 17-7 victory over Caliche from early April. The Bison broke a 4-all tie with a run in the bottom of the second and then raced for a seven-spot in the third to seize control. Wilson homered and drove in four, while Noah Evans had a home run and two RBI for Flatirons. Yost and Kloberdanz had two hits apiece for Caliche, and Kipton Rockwell scored twice.
#6 HAXTUN (16-5) VS #11 MCCLAVE (11-8)
Haxtun was the #1 seed in D5 and the Fightin’ Bulldogs were pushed to the limit in their semifinal contest with Otis. After the 7-6 victory, Haxtun squared off against the #2 seed Akron in the finals. Haxtun held the Rams to just four hits in the 17-12 loss, but committed seven errors, to go with 18 walks and five hit batters. Grant Statz went 4-5 with two RBI, Kanin Koberstein had four RBI, and Chase Goddard scored three times. McClave reached the D4 semifinals with a 4-0 win over Stratton, but then fell to the top seed, Eads 4-0 in the semis. Drew Howe had the lone hit for the Cardinals in that loss, and the freshman also got on with a walk. Taylor LeForce was the only other baserunner, also reaching on a walk. Kielan Mallard only allowed two hits, but struggled with control, walking five and hitting four.
POSSIBLE REMATCHES
Haxtun beat Caliche 15-0 back in late March, with Koberstein and Jaxsen Schram combining on the two- hit shutout. Colin Cone homered and drove in two, while Ryland Wolff stole five bases and scored three runs. Tayten Gerk and Zach Yost had a hit apiece for the Buffs. The Fightin’ Bulldogs also own a win over Flatirons Academy, winning 7-3 just two weeks after beating Caliche. Madden Larsen got the victory by striking out 12 in 5.2 innings. He allowed three hits, and only one of the three runs were earned. Statz scored three runs for Haxtun. Micah Doughty collected the lone RBI for the Bison.
REGION TWO AT EADS HS
#2 EADS (18-0) VS #15 ELBERT (7-8)
Eads outscored its D4 tournament opponents 37-2 in three games last week, including a 12-2 win over Cheyenne Wells in the title game. On the season, the Eagles have allowed a total of 19 runs, only twice giving up more than two in a game. In the title game with Cheyenne Wells, Spencer Uhland and Case Nelson had three RBI apiece. Stockton Mitchek added two. Adyn Hough gave up two unearned runs on four hits in five innings. Elbert pulled off a bit of a shocker in the D2 semifinals, knocking out the #2 seed Evangel Christian Academy by a 7-4 count. That earned the Bulldogs their shot at the top seed, Simla, who got the 10-0 shutout. The Bulldogs were no-hit in the loss, and only had two baserunners, as Sam Cornell and Matt Dooley each drew a walk.
#5 MERINO (15-6) VS #12 CHEYENNE WELLS (10-7)
All of the scoring in Merino’s 3-2 loss to Akron in the D5 semifinals came in the third inning, with Merino doing its damage in the top half. Zachary Mackintosh and Isaac Poe each had two of Merino’s eight hits in the defeat. Zavier Trenkle and Caleb Deines each had a run batted in. None of the three runs allowed by Coen Schmidt were earned. Cheyenne Wells punched its ticket to regionals with the 5-3 win over Holly in the D4 semifinals, with Kooper Brossman driving in two runs. He had two hits, as did Trey Scheler and Marcus Bogenhagen. Bryson Hyle worked 6.1 innings of three-hit ball to earn the victory. The l2-2 loss to Eads in the finals was the third loss of the season for the Tigers against the Eagles.
POSSIBLE REMATCHES
Along with the win in the D4 title game, Eads swept a doubleheader from Cheyenne Wells earlier in the season. Nelson threw a no-hitter in the 4-0 opener, and Uhland gave him run support with two RBI. Hough tossed a four-hitter in game two, which the Eagles won 19-4. All four runs were unearned. That was the most runs an opponent scored all season. Brennan Framel was 2-2 with two RBI for the Tigers. Cheyenne Wells also played Elbert just two weeks ago, taking a 15-5 victory over the Bulldogs. Elbert scored four in the top of the first, but could not hold onto the lead, as Cheyenne Wells scored two in the first and then 11 over the next two frames. Framel was 3-3 with five RBI to lead the Tigers. Steven Smith was 2-3 with a double and two RBI for the Bulldogs
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