Littleton – Clinching the Continental League title Wednesday was only half the satisfaction for Arapahoe.
The fact it was accomplished via a 6-5, eight-inning victory at archrival Heritage made it twice as sweet for the Warriors.
“You’ve got to love it. Against Heritage, at their field, to take them down – it doesn’t get any better,” exuded Arapahoe second baseman Kit Brown, who delivered the game-winning RBI double in the top of the eighth after the Warriors had blown a 5-0 lead.
Never mind Heritage began the season as a shell of its past two solid teams. After starting 2005 2-7 with one returning starter, the Eagles had won seven of eight games and five straight, and could have created a three-way tie for first place in the league by winning their final two games.
Arapahoe senior Eric Anderson pitched a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts, and said he was thrilled to defeat the Eagles. The Warriors (15-3 overall, 9-1 league) have wins over Regis and Heritage, both 8-2 in league, with one game remaining for all three teams.
“That’s a good team … the best team we’ve played,” Heritage coach John Quarton said.
Anderson, a lanky right-hander, seemed on his way to an easy win. Luke Hardcastle opened the game with a solo home run, and Arapahoe made it 2-0 in the first on Cody Scott’s RBI single. The Warriors added three runs (one earned) in the fourth off Heritage southpaw Tim McMahon, two runs scoring on a passed ball and wild pitch on consecutive pitches.
But Heritage fought back and tied it in the fifth.
Arapahoe got the break it needed in the eighth when Jason Howe fouled off three pitches with two strikes and drew a one-out walk.
McMahon struck out Hardcastle, but Brown, who had gone 0-for-3, lined the first pitch off the fence in right field.
Arapahoe 200 300 01 – 6 10 2
Heritage 000 140 00 – 5 3 1
Arapahoe – Hardcastle lf 3-2-1-1, Hamphill lf 0-0-0-0, Brown 2b 4-0-1-1, Harmon 3b 3-1-1-0, Luedtke 1b 4-0-2-0, Case ss 4-0-1-0, Scott c 4-0-2-1, Waits cr 0-0-0-0, Mentor cf 4-0-0-0, Barella rf 3-1-0-0, Howe dh 2-2-2-0, Anderson p 0-0-0-0. Totals 32-6-10-3.
Heritage – Little rf 4-1-1-0, Turre 2b 4-0-1-2, Lerner lf 3-1-0-0, McMahon p 3-1-1-1, Skufca 1b 4-0-0-0, Neumann c 4-0-0-0, Amidei ss 3-0-0-0, Strom cf 1-1-0-0, Cain 3b 2-1-0-0. Totals 28-5-3-3.
E – Harmon, Scott, Turre. LOB – Arapahoe 9, Heritage 4. SB – Waits. CS – Waits, Turre. SAC – Howe. 2B – Brown, Turre. HR – Hardcastle, McMahon. HBP – by Anderson (Strom).
Batteries – Anderson and Scott; McMahon and Neumann. W – Anderson (7-2). L – McMahon (6-2). WP – Anderson 2, McMahon. PB – Neumann 2.
