It wasn’t dramatic, impressive or that exciting, but Cherry Creek will play for another baseball title, its sixth since 1995.
The Bruins built an early lead, weathered multiple threats by Regis, then outlasted the Raiders 6-3 on Friday in the Class 5A state championship series at All-City Field.
“That was our goal, just to get (to Saturday),” Bruins coach Marc Johnson said after his team improved to 21-4. Cherry Creek will have to defeat Grand Junction twice on Saturday.
Senior left-hander Adam Morrison struggled at various points, but went the distance in improving to 7-2. He struck out four Raiders and benefitted from fairly sold defense and timely hitting.
Morrison had only one 1-2-3 inning and twice got out of bases-loaded jams.
“I started off a little slow,” Morrison said as he left the bases full of Raiders in the second and third innings. “I didn’t have my best stuff, but I got out of the jams.”
Regis, which ended 17-8 and stranded 10 runners, crept within 4-3 in the top of the sixth inning. A two-out, two-run double by Jeff Arbayo helped the Raiders make it interesting.
However, Cherry Creek got two in the bottom of the inning to put it away – and it was helped by Regis.
The Bruins loaded the bases with two out against junior Andrew Scheid, who came in in relief of starter and loser Blake Davis in the fourth. Scheid faked a pickoff attempt to third base, then turned and fired to second. He clearly had Cherry Creek’s Joey Mills picked off, but Davis didn’t handle the throw and it went into center field.
Two insurance runs scored and Morrison had a 1-2-3 seventh.
“We had the bases loaded a lot and didn’t execute,” Scheid said.
Arbayo and Anthony Florio had two hits for Regis.
Brett Sowers (solo) and Nick Bryant (two-run shot) hit home runs for the Bruins.
Regis 100 002 0 – 3 7 1
Cherry Creek 112 002 x – 6 10 1
Regis – Florio cf 3-2-2-0, Lomas dh-1b 2-0-0-0, Arbayo lf 4-0-2-3, Martinez c 4-0-0-0, Scheid 1b-p 3-0-1-0, Davis p-ss 3-0-1-0, Vieiro cr 0-0-0-0, Tedesco 3b 2-0-0-0, Flynn rf 3-1-1-0, Schrupp 2b 2-0-0-0, Graf ss 0-0-0-0. Totals 26-3-7-3.
Cherry Creek – Sheridan cf 4-0-1-0, Robbins ss 3-1-1-0, Sowers 2b 3-1-1-1, Bryant dh 3-1-1-2, McDonald lf 3-0-2-0, Halpern 1b 3-0-0-0, Weir 3b 2-1-0-0, Watters c 2-0-2-0, Sweet cr 0-1-0-0, Mills rf 3-1-2-1, Morrison p 0-0-0-0. Totals 26-6-10-4.
E – Robbins, Davis. LOB – Cherry Creek 6, Regis 10. DP – Cherry Creek. SB – McDonald. SAC – Watters.
2B – Sheridan, Arbayo 2. HR – Sowers, solo in first; Bryant, one on on third.
Batteries – Davis, Scheid (4) and Martinez; Morrison and Watters. W – Morrison (7-2). L – Davis (4-1). HBP – Tedesco (by Morrison); Robbins (by Davis); Weir (by Scheid). WP – Morrison. PB – Martinez.
