CLASS 2A BASEBALL REPORT – QUARTERS/SEMIS
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
Eight teams survived last weekend’s regional round and still have hopes of winning a state title. Last year’s champion, Denver Christian, is one of the remaining teams, but the team the Thunder beat last season, Limon, is out. The Runyon Complex in Pueblo is the host for all of the games left on the slate, with Hobbs Field being the site of the games in the top half of the bracket, while “Nuch Field hosts the bottom half. The quarterfinals are on Friday, with semifinals on Saturday. The games are listed in bracket order.
#1 FORGE CHRISTIAN (21-4) VS #8 MONTE VISTA (16-6) FRIDAY 9:30AM
The Fury did all the damage needed in the first inning of its regional semifinal against Manual, scoring four runs. Forge Christian went on to win 10-0 in six innings. Burke Jasa only allowed two baserunners in six innings, giving up one hit and a walk, while punching out 14. Ben McLean went 3-4 with a homer, triple, and two RBI. Will Taylor was 3-3 with a double. Brock Wycoff gave up one earned run on four hits in a seven-inning complete game 10-1 victory over Wray in the championship game. He had eight strikeouts and no walks. Jonah Boykin hit his second home run of the season, and Jasa had a double and two runs batted in.
Manny Jiron smacked a grand slam for Monte Vista in its 7-2 regional semifinal victory over Swink. It was his second dinger of the season and first four RBI game of his freshman campaign. Kaden Mellott allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out 14. Kobe Jiron tossed a no-hitter against Yuma in the final, giving up four walks and striking out nine in the upset. Jakoby Ross had two RBI for the Pirates.
#4 PEYTON (20-1) VS #5 HIGHLAND (19-6) FRIDAY 12PM
Peyton trailed Estes Park 3-2 until blowing up for five runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 7-3 win in the regional semifinals. Colton Cobb and Zayden Ebbert had two RBI apiece, backing Bryce Love, who gave up two runs (one earned) in six innings. Love allowed two hits and walked four, while striking out nine. The Panthers used a six-run third to move past North Fork 11-6 in the final. Love went 3-3 with two RBI and three runs scored, and Liam Stewart added two more runs knocked in. The Panthers have won 13 straight entering the quarterfinals.
Highland got off to a hot start in its semifinal with Buena Vista, scoring four in the bottom of the first and six more in the second. That powered the Huskies to an 11-3 victory. DJ Rogers was 2-3 with a homer, two RBI, and two runs scored. John Bingley went 3-3 with two RBI and two runs. Sawyer Morgan also had two hits for the Huskies, including a double. Bingley threw a five-hit shutout against Las Animas in the final, walking two and striking out eight. He also had a big game at the plate, going 3-3 again, this time with two doubles, and three runs scored. Rogers added his sixth homer of the season.
POSSIBLE REMATCHES
None of the four teams met during the regular season.
#3 FOWLER (20-2) VS #6 DENVER CHRISTIAN (16-8) FRIDAY 12PM
In winning its spot in the state bracket, Fowler extended its winning streak to 17. Weston Johnson only needed 60 pitches to throw a five-inning perfect game with 12 strikeouts against Clear Creek in the semis. Bryce Froman and Joe Salvo had three RBI apiece. Salvo crushed his second home run of the season. The Grizzlies had a tougher go in the final against Byers, needing three in the bottom of the sixth to pull out a 7-5 victory. Landon Johnson was 3-3, while Brock True and Isaiah Montoya had two RBI apiece.
Denver Christian came on strong in its semifinal against Lyons, scoring eight runs over the final two innings to win 11-2. Caleb Stork had a big game at the dish, going 4-4 with a triple, two doubles, two RBI, and four runs. Mason Reilly was 3-3 with four RBI, and James Lord knocked home three runs. Lord also got the win, striking out eight over seven innings. The Thunder carried momentum into the final against Crowley County, scoring five in the first and three in the second. They rolled to a 13-1 victory, with Reilly allowing one earned on three hits in five innings. He punched out nine. Reilly was also 3-3 with a home run, double, five RBI, and two runs.
#2 DAYSPRING CHRISTIAN (21-3) VS #7 PLATTE VALLEY (16-9) FRIDAY 9:30AM
Dayspring Christian scored 11 runs in the first three innings against Sedgwick County and claimed the 11-2 win to advance to the regional final. Gavin Bohl drove in three runs, while Josiah Rodriguez and Gage Davis had two RBI apiece. Owen Steward struck out nine in four innings, and Rodriguez added nine Ks in three innings of relief. The Eagles pulled away from a 3-all tie against Burlington with three in the bottom of the third, and they never looked back. DCA scored five in the fourth and closed out the run-rule victory with two in the fifth. Bohl had three more RBI, and Jeremiah Garza had a team-high four driven in. Davis allowed three earned over five innings to get the win.
Platte Valley led Bishop Machebeuf 5-0 after one, but only had a 5-3 lead going to the bottom of the fifth. The Broncos tacked on two insurance runs and advanced to the final 7-3. Hudson Flummerfelt went 3-3 with two doubles, two RBI, and two runs. The Broncos used three pitchers, with Dagan Gomez working six frames, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits. Platte Valley then bounced Limon 10-6 in the final to punch its ticket to state. The Broncos led 10-2 before Limon scored four in the top of the seventh to make it interesting. Flummerfelt remained white-hot at the plate, going 4-4 with three doubles, four RBI, and three runs. Hazen Weber gave up two earned on three hits over six innings to earn the win.
This is a rematch of a game that DCA won 6-3 back on March 25th. Logan Van Iddekinge and Rodriguez had two RBI apiece for the Eagles, while Nick Silvas had two for Platte Valley. Steward and Davis had six strikeouts each for DCA in the win.
POSSIBLE REMATCHES
Fowler got an early 7-5 win over Dayspring Christian back on March 21st. The Grizzlies led 7-2 going to the top of the fifth, but the Eagles began to rally with three in the frame. Fowler shut them them down the rest of the way to earn the victory. Van Iddekinge homered and drove in all five runs for the Eagles. Brock True plated two for the Grizzlies in the win.
MileHigh Prep Report 