Broomfield – An equal combination of skill and luck, along with one mighty swing by Andrew Eggers, delivered a second consecutive league championship to the Rocky Mountain baseball team.
After walking seven batters and putting nine runners on base in the first two innings without giving up a hit Tuesday, the second-ranked Lobos found their groove and defeated No. 3 Legacy 10-4, clinching the Class 5A Front Range League title thanks in large part to Eggers’ grand slam.
But it wasn’t Eggers alone, as he pointed out. The entire squad contributed 10 hits and nine RBIs, and relief pitcher Chris Capps ended a bases- loaded threat in the second inning and then scattered five singles the rest of the way.
“It’s always a team effort. Everyone comes out and tries to get their job done,” said Eggers, who went 3-for-4. “Everyone was pretty fired up. We’ve been looking forward to this game for a while.”
Rocky Mountain (14-3, 6-2 league) won the Northern League title last season, but the Front Range was a bigger challenge with better competition.
“Last year we did it in a little bit of a lesser league,” Capps said. “This year we wanted to prove we could do it again in this league.”
Legacy (14-2, 6-2) seemed to have luck on its side early as Rocky Mountain starting pitcher Scott Bachman struggled to find a tight strike zone. In an inning and a third, Bachman walked seven and gave up two unearned runs without surrendering a hit. But Legacy twice left the bases loaded in the first two innings. Those missed opportunities cost the Lightning.
“I’m not going to make any excuses. I tip my hat to them. We’ve got to clean things up,” Legacy coach Gary Mares said.
Still, with a 2-0 lead after three innings, Legacy pitcher Steven Green looked to be in command. He went six-up, six- down in the first two innings, then gave up two harmless singles in the third. But things changed in the fourth.
With the game tied 2-2 and the bases still loaded after playable flyballs dropped as run- scoring hits, Eggers came up and blasted his grand slam.
“When their pitcher came out and threw that first fastball, I just tried to get the job done,” Eggers said.
Rocky Mountain 000 600 4 – 10 10 2
Legacy 020 002 0 – 4 5 3
Rocky Mountain – Geraty 2b 3-1-0-0, Collins 1b 4-1-1-0, Capps ss 3-2-1-0, Bell 3b 3-2-1-2, B. Eggers c 4-1-1-1, Maul dh 3-2-2-2, A. Eggers lf 4-1-3-4, Bachman p 3-0-0-0, Towne cf 3-0-1-0.
Totals 30-10-10-9.
Legacy – Griffin cf 3-1-2-0, Buck 2b 2-0-1-2, Green P 2-0-0-0, Henry c 2-0-0-0, Little ss 3-0-1-0, Szabo 3b 4-0-0-0, Wilson lf 4-0-1-0, Fuchs dh 1-1-0-0, Thomas 1b 3-2-0-0. Totals 24-4-5-2.
E – Bachman, Bell; Green, Little, Szabo. LOB – Rocky Mountain 3, Legacy 10. 2B – Bell. HR – A. Eggers, grand slam in fourth; Maul, one on in seventh. SAC – Bell; Griffin. SB – Buck 2, Green 2, Griffin. CS – A. Eggers. Batteries – Bachman, Capps (2) and B. Eggers; Green, Buck (7) and Henry. W – Capps (5-1). L – Green.
