Evergreen – A 6-0 start while averaging more than 12 runs per game did little to convince Green Mountain coach Vince Schade of his baseball team’s prowess.
This week’s results, which culminate with Saturday’s game against No. 2 Arvada West, should let the first-year coach know if the Rams are legitimate contenders for the 5A Jefferson County League title.
So far, so good.
Green Mountain continued to swing its bats impressively and received a solid effort from its No. 3 pitcher Wednesday in a 13-9 victory over Evergreen of the 4A Jeffco League and its pitching and hitting star, Tim Wulf.
The Rams jumped all over Wulf, a senior right-hander, roughing him up for 11 runs (nine earned) on 14 hits (including three home runs) in 4 1/3 innings.
“He’s probably one of the best pitchers in the state,” Rams leadoff hitter Chris Juarez said of Wulf. “To do what we did today, that’s got to make you feel good.”
Juarez went 4-for-5, including a solo homer that kick-started a four-run fourth inning and an RBI double in the fifth that ended Wulf’s outing.
Teammates Cory Miller, Jordan Robinson and Sean Juarez (Chris’ brother) contributed three hits each. Miller hit a three-run homer in the fourth.
“We needed to face somebody of his caliber and see where we’re at as a team,” Schade said.
It was a tough day all around for Wulf. One of the state’s best hitters, he struck out for the first time this season for the third out with runners at first and third after Evergreen had scored four times to tie the game at 4-4. Green Mountain padded its lead to 13-4 before the Cougars scored again in the fifth.
Wulf, who was hitting .412 before the game, went 1-for-4 with a solo home run off Kyle Jark in the bottom of the seventh.
Wulf probably wasn’t in top condition physically. In his last start during the team’s five- game, spring break visit to Orlando, Fla., he took a line drive on his right knee, which was surgically repaired last summer.
Jark, a senior right-hander, allowed 10 hits with five strikeouts and two walks in his 6 1/3 innings. He gave up four hits in the second but just five through four innings before Evergreen scored three unearned runs on two hits and two errors in the fifth, Dustin Fontera belting a three-run homer. Fontera added an RBI double in the seventh off Jark.
Evergreen fell to 3-6, suffering its first loss against Colorado competition.
Green Mountain 221 440 0 – 13 19 3
Evergreen 040 030 2 – 9 10 3
Green Mountain – C. Juarez cf 5-3-4-3, Jamison ss 4-3-2-2, Raabe 3b 5-2-1-0, Miller c 5-1-3-3, Robinson lf 5-0-3-4, G. Wood rf 4-1-1-1, Hebert 1b 4-0-1-0, S. Juarez 2b 4-2-3-0, Garbarino dh 3-1-1-0, Eppard dh 1-0-0-0, Jark p 0-0-0-0, Garner p 0-0-0-0. Totals 40-13-19-13.
Evergreen – Coe 2b 4-0-1-2, Black cf 4-0-1-1, Wulf p-3b 4-2-1-1, Dufford c 3-1-2-0, Frease c 1-0-1-0, Kelly pr 0-0-0-0, Moenning rf 4-2-1-0, Fontera lf 3-2-2-4, Harris 3b-p 4-1-1-0, Elliott 1b 3-1-0-1, Murphy ss 2-0-0-0, Vickstrom ss 1-0-0-0. Totals 33-9-10-9.
E – Miller, S. Juarez 2; Wulf, Fontera, Murphy. DP – Evergreen. LOB – Green Mountain 7, Evergreen 5. 2B – C. Juarez, Robinson, Garbarino; Coe, Moenning, Fontera. 3B – Robinson. HR – C. Juarez, solo in 4th); Miller, 2 on in 4th; G. Wood, solo in 3rd; Wulf, solo in 6th; Fontera, 2 on in 5th. SB – Dufford. SF – Jamison.
Batteries – Jark, Garner (7) and Miller; Wulf, Harris (5) and Dufford, Frease (6). W – Jark (2-0). L – Wulf (1-2). WP – Wulf, Harris 2.
