CLASS 3A BASEBALL REPORT – OPENING ROUNDS
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
The first two championship rounds, as well as two consolation rounds in Class 3A, will be played this weekend in Greeley. University High School and Butch Butler Field will be the host sites, with University playing its games at Butch Butler to ensure a neutral field. Eaton won the title last season, and the Reds are in the bracket again this year. The first round and first consolation round games are on Friday, with second round and second consolation round games on Saturday. Games are listed in bracket order.
#1 UNIVERSITY (22-3) VS #8 VALLEY (13-12) FRIDAY 9:30AM
Joel Ramirez and Preston Natividad combined on a five-inning no-hitter for the top-seeded Bulldogs in a 14-0 regional semifinal win over Lincoln. The duo walked one and struck out 11. Will Korby hit his second home run of the season and drove in three runs, while Ramirez and Medardo Abrego had two RBI apiece. Gage Viken allowed one unearned run on one hit in four innings as the Bulldogs beat Manitou Springs 16-1 to earn their trip to state. Viken helped his own cause by going 3-4 with four RBI. Natividad drove in three.
Valley raced out to a 7-0 lead against Alameda, before having to hold on for an 8-6 semifinal victory. Andrew Renken was 2-4 with a double and three RBI, and Alfonso Medina scored two runs for the Vikings. Anthony Soliz worked 5.2 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) to get the win, while Seth Kissler got the save with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. The Vikings faced the second seed in the regional bracket, Colorado Academy, with a spot in the state field on the line. Seven innings would not be enough to settle the outcome, with the Vikings tying the game at two with a run in the seventh, and then outscoring the Mustangs 3-2 in the eighth for the upset victory. Kissler and Trent Maestas had two hits and an RBI apiece.
University beat Valley 4-1 just over three weeks ago in Patriot League play. Max Davis doubled and drove in two for the Bulldogs, supporting Korby, who allowed one unearned run on two hits in seven innings. Korby struck out 11. Soliz took the loss for the Vikings, allowing three runs (two earned) in five innings with seven strikeouts. He also had one of the team’s two hits.
#4 RESURRECTION CHRISTIAN (17-8) vs #5 MONTEZUMA-CORTEZ (21-4) FRIDAY 12PM
Resurrection Christian got a pair of shutouts in the regional bracket, beating Arvada 15-0 and Alamosa by a 9-0 score. Braedyn Budd was credited with a four-inning no-hitter in the win over Arvada. The sophomore walked one and struck out six. Charley Wilson provided plenty of offense, driving in three runs. Bennett Ruby was 3-3 with two RBI, and Vaughn Green also had two runs batted in. Green tossed his own no-no in the regional final, striking out 14 and walking three in seven frames. Wilson and Maddox Sessions drove in two runs apiece, while Green and Vincent Fuller had three hits each.
Montezuma-Cortez pushed its winning streak to 13 with regional wins over Jefferson Academy and Elizabeth. The Panthers built a big lead against JA, gave up three runs late, and won 9-3. Connor Rosenbaugh had a shutout going into the seventh before the Jags touched him for those three runs. He struck out 10 in seven innings. Samson Lein went 3-4 with a triple and two RBI, and Easton Pixler homered and drove in two. Cory Carver added a pair of triples and two runs scored. The Panthers had to overcome an early 4-0 deficit against Elizabeth, but finally took control with five in the fourth and four in the fifth to pull away for the 11-6 victory. Lein was 4-4 with another triple and four RBI, and Carver added his third three-bagger of the day.
POSSIBLE REMATCHES
Playing in the same league, Resurrection Christian faced both University and Valley during the season. The Cougars took a 4-3 win over University, scoring the winning run in the bottom of the seventh, after the Bulldogs tied it with three in the top half of the inning. Isaac Dellinger had two hits for University, and Viken drove in two runs in the loss. Budd went 3-3 with three RBI for the Cougars. Resurrection Christian turned around and beat Valley 10-5 just two days later. Sessions and Budd had two RBI apiece in that win. Kissler and Caleb Dudley had two runs batted in apiece for the Vikings.
#3 EATON (19-6) VS #6 THE CLASSICAL ACADEMY (19-6) FRIDAY 12PM
Eaton recorded a pair of shutouts in its regional round, beating La Junta 7-0 and Basalt 8-0. Everett Edinger and Vinnie Juarez had two hits apiece, and Cooper Nider drove in two runs in the semifinal victory. Austin Edelmon worked five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and five walks to earn the win, and Cash Rinker came on for two innings of one-hit relief. The regional final with Basalt was a rematch from a week earlier, which Eaton won 14-4. In the final, the Reds used a pair of four-run frames to build their 8-0 cushion that would hold up for the final tally. Malaki Dalpra pushed three runs across the plate, while Greyson Clingan had three hits and two RBI. Gunnar Garrison was in control throughout, allowing four hits, one hit batter, and striking out a career-high 18.
The Classical Academy broke out the big bats in the regional semifinals against Woodland Park, hitting two home runs in the 21-1 three-inning run-rule victory. Zach Mediavilla hit one of the bombs and drove in five, while CJ Mullen hit the other. Mullen and Mason Parker had three RBI apiece. Mullen hit his seventh homer of the season in the 11-3 final win over Prospect Ridge Academy. Zack Hale added his 16th of the campaign. Mullen, Maddox Awtry, and Ezekiel Kimmig had two RBI apiece. Awtry hit a pair of triples.
#2 COAL RIDGE (22-2-1) VS #7 DELTA (18-7) FRIDAY 9:30AM
Coal Ridge extended its winning streak to 18 games in winning its regional bracket. The Titans began with a 5-1 semifinal victory over Timnath, in which Logan Harlow allowed an earned run on three hits in seven innings. Julian Perez went 2-3 with two runs batted in, and Ben Simons was 2-4 with a double and an RBI. The offense clicked in a 15-5 win over Peak to Peak in the final, with the Titans scoring four in the first, five in the fourth, and finishing the run-rule win with a six-spot in the bottom of the fifth. Maddox Olivas went deep twice, matching his season total, and drove in five runs. Wyatt Murray, Jakson Slade, and John Luke Houston had two RBI each.
Trailing 6-2 entering the bottom of the third, Delta broke on top of Kent Denver with a six-run frame, and then added three in the sixth to beat the Sun Devils 11-6 in the regional semifinals last Friday. Rylan Cryer hit his first home run of the year. Ripp Lockhart and Deacon Shean had two hits apiece in the win. The Panthers then took care of the host, Sterling, 10-7 in eight innings in the final. Delta had led 6-2 after two, but Sterling tied the game at 7-all with two in the bottom of the seventh. The Panthers got the win with three in the eighth. Ty Reed homered twice and drove in five runs, while Landon Kennell had a home run and a double, to collect three RBI. Kennell scored three times.
Coal Ridge swept a doubleheader from Delta two weeks ago, winning 8-3 and 9-4. Olivas had a two-run triple and a run for the Titans in the game one win, while Kennell had an RBI double and run scored for Delta. George Roberts hit a three-run homer for Coal Ridge in game two, while Pacey Smith had a two-run shot for the Panthers.
POSSIBLE REMATCHES
Eaton earned a 5-4 tournament win over Delta in early April. The Panthers tied the game with a run in the top of the seventh, and the Reds walked it off in the bottom of the inning. Cash Rinker had two RBI for the Reds, and Garrison struck out 10 in 6.2 innings. Eaton stole nine bases in the win, four by Beckett Pierce and three by Shane Welle. Jhett Ryan went 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored for Delta. Kennell stuck out nine in 4.2 innings, but also allowed 11 walks. He took a no-decision.
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