CLASS 3A BASEBALL REPORT – FINAL FOUR
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
Championship weekend is here in Class 3A, with action taking place at Butch Butler Field in Greeley at 10am on Friday with a consolation semifinal between Montezuma-Cortez and Resurrection Christian. The winner of that game advances to the 12:30pm consolation final against #1 University.
From there, the survivor moves on to a clash with #2 Coal Ridge, with the Titans needing a win to claim the championship. If Coal Ridge loses that 10am contest on Saturday, there is a rematch at 12:30pm for all the marbles.
#1 UNIVERSITY (24-4)
The Bulldogs escaped their quarterfinal match-up with fellow Patriot League opponent Valley, eking out a 5-4 victory. After the Vikings tied it in the top of the sixth, University scored the eventual winning run in the bottom of the frame. Kaden Turk went 2-3 with two runs scored, while Preston Natividad and Damian Alvarez added two hits apiece. Sticking with the all Patriot theme, the Bulldogs polished off Resurrection Christian in the second round, 5-2, with Turk and Gage Viken each having two RBI. Viken gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits in five innings, with nine strikeouts. University was sent to the consolation side of the bracket by Coal Ridge, who took a 3-0 win. Turk and Brody Duran had two hits apiece, and Joel Ramirez allowed three runs (one earned) in seven innings.
#2 COAL RIDGE (25-2-1)
Coal Ridge went undefeated last weekend, starting with an 11-5 victory over Delta in the quarterfinals. Down 5-3, the Titans erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the seventh to take control against the Panthers. Wyatt Murray homered and drove in three. Jackson Slade got the win in 3.1 innings of relief, allowing only two hits and no runs. The Titans held perennial power Eaton to just three hits in an 8-0 win over the Reds. Ben Simons struck out 10 and allowed the three hits along with three walks for the shutout. Murray had two more RBI on Saturday in the 3-0 win over University. John Luke Houston went five scoreless innings and allowed five hits to earn the win. Simons had an RBI and two runs scored.
#4 RESURRECTION CHRISTIAN (19-9)
In a preview of the consolation semifinal, Resurrection Christian took a 1-0 win over Montezuma-Cortez in the quarterfinals, with the Cougars scoring the only run of the game in the bottom of the third and making it stand up. Vincent Fuller scored on one of Charley Wilson’s two hits in the game. Braedyn Budd allowed three hits in the shutout. The Cougars were derailed in the second round by University, 5-2. Budd tripled in one of the runs for Rez Christian. The Cougars stayed alive with a 7-1 victory over The Classical Academy, with Graham Riggs and Merick Fishbeck combining to allow one unearned run on four hits. Budd and Brayden MacAlmon collected two RBI apiece.
#5 MONTEZUMA-CORTEZ (23-5)
The Panthers couldn’t get the bats going in the 1-0 loss to Rez in the quarterfinals, as they were held to just three hits. Easton Pixler, Jaiden Istenes, and Darren Daves all had one knock. Seth Oakes and Michael Krupa kept the team in the hunt by combining for one earned run on six hits. The offense warmed up in the first consolation round, as the Panthers eliminated Valley with a 9-2 decision. Seven different players had an RBI for MCHS, including Pixler, who hit a solo home run. Connor Rosenbaugh got the win after allowing an unearned run in five frames. A four-run second ended up being the difference in a 9-5 win over Eaton, as the Panthers eliminated the Reds in the second consolation round. Jaris McDonald collected three RBI, and Istenes pushed two runs across the dish.
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