Greeley – Things that are contagious: sneezes, yawns, small children and hitting.
The Longmont Trojans hit just about everything they saw Friday afternoon at Butch Butler Field, and in turn went 2-0 with victories over Sterling (15-3) and Pueblo South (10-4) to join Niwot as the only unbeatens in the Class 4A championship series.
Longmont (18-5), which went 4-15 a season ago, will play Niwot today at 3 p.m. at Englewood High School. Niwot won the previous meeting 5-4.
“We’re a pretty good club.We have to play hard and do a lot of things right, and we are right at the moment,” said Trojans coach Tom Fobes, who watched his team pound out 19 hits, including eight doubles, against Sterling in the first game. “Last season we lost a lot of close games, and this season we are winning those games.”
Pueblo South (21-2) remains alive in the double-elimination format and will play the winner of Saturday’s Golden-Broomfield game.
Longmont didn’t necessarily need the hot bats in a big third inning. Colts pitcher Rick Armijo did most of the work. Armijo walked the bases loaded, then plunked senior Jason Fobes in the back to bring in the first run. The walks proved costly when Brad Johnson singled in the next run and Nathan Chavez delivered a two-run double over right fielder Ryan Carrillo, who was battling a tough midday sun.
Longmont would score seven runs on just three hits in the inning. Armijo walked four and hit a batter, and reliever Jeff Giordano walked in another run.
“That one inning really did them in,” Fobes said. “Our guys showed good patience, especially after we had 19 hits in that first game. We could have come out swinging from our heels.”
Said Pueblo South coach JR Crowell: “They took advantage of the free passes we gave them, and that was the difference in the game. They understand we are still alive and that’s the first thing I told them, was that tomorrow’s a new day and we just have to come out and do what we’ve done all year long.”
Sophomore John Lewis was the hottest of the Trojans’ hitters. He went 6-for-7 in the two games, with four runs scored and seven RBIs. Lewis crushed his second home run of the season in the top of the fifth, a three-run shot, to put his team up 10-2.
“The energy from just knowing you’re in the state playoff was enough to get us going,” said Lewis, who is eager to get another shot at his Boulder County rivals. “I think we can take them.”
Friday’s early losers, Northridge and Sterling, will play an elimination game Saturday morning at Englewood for the right to face Ralston Valley in yet another lose-and-go- home situation.
Longmont 007 030 0 – 10 7 2
Pueblo South 100 110 1 – 4 9 1
Longmont – Smith 2b 3-1-0-0, Snuszka cf 3-1-1-0, Ja. Fobes ss 3-1-0-1, Johnson c 4-0-1-1, Sterkel cr 0-1-0-0, Chavez dh 4-1-2-2, Juth p 0-0-0-0, Pineda 3b 3-2-1-0, VandenBoogaard 4-0-0-0, Jo. Fobes 1-2-0-1, Lewis rf 3-1-2-5. Totals 28-10-7-10.
Pueblo South – Farbo cf 4-3-2-0, Carrillo rf 3-0-2-1, Pechek c 4-0-2-1, Snyder 2b 3-0-1-0, Diorio ss 3-0-1-0, Cover 3b 0-1-0-0, Vanderputten dh 3-0-0-0, Armijo p 0-0-0-0, Brown 1b 0-0-0-0, Giordano 1b-p 3-0-1-1, Macaluso cr 0-0-0-0, Sullivan lf 3-0-0-0. Totals 26-4-9-3.
E – Ja. Fobes, Pineda, Giordano. LOB – Longmont 4; Pueblo South 5. 2B – Chavez 2, Lewis; Pechek, Diorio, Farbo. 3B – Snuszka; Giardano, Farbo. HR – Lewis, two on in fifth. CS – Snyder. DP – Longmont 2.
Batteries – Juth and Johnson; Armijo, Giardano (3) and Pechek. W – Juth (5-3). L – Armijo (7-2). WP – Juth 3. HBP – Ja. Fobes (by Armijo in third). BK – Juth.
GAME 4
Northridge 302 010 1 – 7 6 1
Pueblo South 410 102 x – 8 10 1
HR – Roth (2), two on in first, solo in seventh; Mansfield, one on in third. Batteries – Crespin, Morgan (6) and Sullivan; Mattivi and Pechek. W – Mattivi (9-0). L – Crespin (5-3).
GAME 3
Longmont 503 034 – 15 19 3
Sterling 101 001 – 3 4 1
Batteries – Matthews and Johnson; Johnson, Steele (3), Walraven (6) and Hall. W – Matthews (9-0). L – Johnson (7-1).
Jon E. Yunt can be reached at 303-820-5446 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
