Arvada – A little time in the Florida sun is good for just about anybody.
Even the Pomona Panthers’ baseball squad, which dropped four games to four talented teams in the Westminster Classic, came back refreshed, and it showed in Pomona’s 12-2, six-inning victory over visiting Loveland in a Class 5A nonleague contest.
“The teams are really good down there (in Florida). Not that the competition here isn’t good, but they can play all year round, while we have to practice in the gym sometimes because of the snow,” said Pomona’s designated hitter Kyle Oestereicher, who went 2-for-2 with a double from his leadoff spot.
Pomona (3-4), a program that has made the playoffs seven of the past eight seasons with a state title in 2003, started the scoring early.
With Oestereicher and Dustin Loomis on base and two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Deon Drefke brought both runners home with a single. The Panthers put up another run in the second on a balk by Loveland (3-3-2) pitcher Trevor Geist, and then three more in the third after the first three batters reached base on singles.
“Coach (E.J. Mapps) told me to shorten up my swing, and that was everything. I hadn’t been hitting very well until today,” said Drefke, who went 3-for-3 with three RBIs.
Pomona ended the game early with an RBI single by Jesse Cridlebaugh, who drove in Mike Loseke in the bottom of the sixth.
“We have not been starting off quick enough and we’ve been having to come back. We can rally, but today we didn’t hit. We don’t have the best talent in the world, but we have a lot of heart,” first-year Loveland coach Adam Bakersky said.
Loveland has had three one-run games, winning two, a two-run victory and two ties this season. The Indians have not been to the playoffs in five years, but the last time they made it, they won it all in 2000.
Geist left the mound in the fifth inning with four strikeouts, but his bat stayed alive the whole game. He finished with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
Pomona’s pitching, meanwhile, was stellar. Bryan Kruse gave up two runs in the third, but he and relief hurler Marcus Farrell scattered six hits all game. That was just what the Panthers were looking for after their trip to Florida.
“All things considered, those were the four best high school teams we have ever played. And that is no knock on the teams here,” Mapps said.
Loveland 002 000 – 2 6 4
Pomona 213 204 – 12 13 2
Loveland – Geist p-ss 3-1-2-1, Hartig lf 3-0-1-1, Biermann ss-p 3-0-0-0, Tonsing 3b 3-0-1-0, Se. Warren c 3-0-1-0, Leyba cf 3-0-0-0, Johnson 2b 1-0-0-0, Kuehl 1b 1-0-0-0, Eggspuehler 1b 2-1-1-0, St. Warren rf 2-0-0-0. Totals 24-2-6-2.
Pomona – Oestereicher dh 2-2-2-0, Gill rf 2-1-1-0, Loomis 3b 3-2-1-0, Salazar ss 4-2-3-1, Drefke c 3-1-3-3, Krenke cf 3-2-1-2, Loseke 1b 2-1-0-0, Cridlebaugh 2b 3-0-1-1, Fox lf 1-0-0-0, Riccatone dh 1-0-0-0, Jones dh 1-0-0-0, Davidson cr 0-1-0-0, Grabau dh 1-0-1-0. Totals 26-12-13-7.
E – Tonsing, Hansen, Geist; Salazar. DP – Pomona 1. LOB – Loveland 5; Pomona 6. 2B – Geist, Hartig; Oestereicher. 3B – Krenke. SAC – Gill. CS – Davidson. Batteries – Geist, Biermann (5) and Se. Warren; Kruse, Farrell (6) and Drefke. W – Kruse. L – Geist. WP – Geist 2; Farrell. PB – Se. Warren. Balk – Geist 2.
