Broomfield – Patrick Oliver just needed a hit.
A triple would have to do.
The Broomfield right fielder drove Josh Gordon’s pitch deep into the right-field gap in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday to score Curtis Siebenaller and seal a 2-1 Class 4A Northern League victory over Silver Creek.
“I was thinking I just needed a base hit,” Oliver said. “We were struggling hitting that game and just needed something to get a rally started.”
Oliver even tried to extend his triple when Raptors third baseman Caleb Monteil couldn’t come up with the relay from the outfield. Monteil didn’t miss his throw to home. He nailed Oliver at the plate.
But the damage was done.
Broomfield ace Andy Herrman had all the cushion he needed to put an end to the entertaining pitchers’ duel by retiring the side in the seventh as the second-ranked Eagles (4-3, 4-1 in league) won their eighth straight over the Raptors (7-4, 4-3).
Herrman, who improved to 2-2, outdid Gordon in a battle of lefties. Herrman gave up four hits, walked one and struck out four while Gordon (1-2 this season) gave up four hits, walked three and struck out eight.
“I felt strong the whole way through,” Herrman said. “I just wanted to make sure I stayed mentally focused and on top of all my pitches.”
Both pitchers faced the minimum batters through three innings before the Eagles finally got to Gordon in the fourth.
Nick Arapkiles doubled over first base and then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jarod Berggen. All-state shortstop Chris Grandinetti drove Arapkiles in with a single to left and the Eagles eventually loaded the bases with two outs.
But Gordon struck out Jordan Kessler to end the inning and Silver Creek came back to tie the game in the top of the fifth on a run-scoring single by No. 9 hitter Kyle Gunther.
The Raptors squandered a chance to pull ahead in the sixth when Luke Sugg reached base on an error to lead off the inning. Sugg was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt but took too long a peek at third and was run down.
Monteil followed with a hard single up the middle that would have scored the senior catcher.
Silver Creek 000 010 0 – 1 4 1
Broomfield 000 101 x – 2 4 1
Silver Creek – Benjamin rf 3-0-0-0, Sugg c 2-0-0-0, Gordon p 2-0-0-0, Monteil 3b 3-0-1-0, Poulsen dh 3-0-0-0, Kramer cf 3-0-1-0, Ryan 2b 3-1-0-0, Dennis lf 3-0-1-0, Gunther ss 2-0-1-1, Farrenkopf 1b 0-0-0-0. Totals 24-1-4-1.
Broomfield – Arapkiles 2b 2-1-1-0, Berggen lf 2-0-0-0, Grandinetti ss 3-0-1-1, Siebenaller 1b 2-1-1-0, Oliver rf 3-0-1-1, McBride cf 1-0-0-0, Kessler c 2-0-0-0, Alexander dh 2-0-0-0, Lontine 3b 2-0-0-0, Herrman p 0-0-0-0. Totals 19-2-4-2.
E – Monteil; Arapkiles. LOB – Silver Creek 4, Broomfield 3. SB – Sugg. Caught stealing – Sugg. 2B – Arapkiles. 3B – Oliver. DP – Silver Creek.
Batteries – Gordon and Sugg; Herrman and Kessler. W – Herrman (2-2). L – Gordon (1-2). Balk – Gordon.
