Eaton – Some wanted the first pitch pushed back; others didn’t.
Such is the off-the-field stuff that can occur between heated rivals.
A huge crowd watched host Eaton jump on Roosevelt early, then ride Shane Dyer’s all-around performance to a 9-7 nonleague decision of previously undefeated Roosevelt on Thursday night in a battle of the top teams in The Denver Post/9News Class 3A poll.
No. 2 Eaton, the longtime midrange classification power, improved to 11-0-1 this season and 94-7 on its home field since it opened in 1997. Top-ranked Roosevelt, which trailed throughout the game, dipped to 11-1.
The added fire came through a move by school officials, who opted for a late change from a 4 p.m. starting time to 6:30 in order to have as many people at the game as possible.
It worked. Fans lined both baselines, and several others watched from the outfield behind the fence standing on pickup trucks.
However, it also lit a fire under the Reds, notably Dyer. The senior right-hander went the distance, survived a four-run third inning by the Rough Riders, and collected his sixth and seventh extra-base hits over the past three games. He knocked in three runs with a double and a triple, and on the mound gave up only five hits.
“We kind of took it as a sign that they wanted to push it back so everybody can come here and watch them beat us,” Dyer said. “It wasn’t going to happen.”
It didn’t. The Reds jumped on Roosevelt starter and loser Sean Lydon for five runs in the first inning. And it was kind of historic – Roosevelt, the 2005 state runner-up, entered the game having outscored its opposition 136-1 and hadn’t trailed in 2006.
The Reds went on to a 7-1 lead and weathered any other move by the Rough Riders, who also sent the tying run to the plate in the seventh with two out.
But Dyer allowed only three hits over the final four innings and mixed his fastball with a knuckle-curve that helped produce 13 strikeouts, at least one in each inning.
“It was a nicely pitched game by him,” veteran Eaton coach Jim Danley said. “We’re two very even teams, and we certainly have all the respect in the world for them.”
Said Roosevelt coach Alan Gibson: “They jumped on us early, and we’re not used to that….We talked about having to be aggressive in all phases. We were for the most part, but against a good team you can’t walk on eggshells or feel your way through.”
In addition to Dyer, Drew Smith had two hits, as did catcher Jared Carlson, who doubled, singled and had a sacrifice fly for three runs batted in. Every Eaton starter reached base at least once, but the Reds also had four errors, a number lamented by Danley.
Roosevelt helped Eaton’s five-run first inning with three errors by shortstop Brett McFarland. The Rough Riders’ Ty Cardona had two hits and three RBIs and also relieved Lydon in the second inning. The bottom of the Rough Riders’ lineup also struggled – Nos. 6-9 in the order were a combined 0-for-12.
Roosevelt 014 010 1 – 7 5 4
Eaton 522 000 x – 9 9 4
Roosevelt – McFarland ss 4-0-1-0, Hildreth 2b 3-2-1-0, Schlagel rf 3-1-0-0, Montoya cf 3-3-1-1, Cardona dh-p 3-0-2-3, Lydon p 0-0-0-0, Valverde cr 0-1-0-0, Gibson 1b 4-0-0-0, Wilson c 3-0-0-0, Hernandez 3b 2-0-0-0, Treat lf 3-0-0-0. Totals 28-7-5-4.
Eaton – Jones cf 3-1-0-0, Smith 3b 2-2-1-1, Dyer p 3-0-2-3, Rapp cr 0-2-0-0, Carlson c 2-0-2-3, Anderson 0-1-0-0, Hood 1b 4-0-0-0, Payne ss 3-1-1-0, McClavey 2b 0-0-0-0, Harris dh 3-0-1-1, Ottoson 3-1-1-0, Craddock ph 1-0-0-0, Ball 1-1-0-0. Totals 25-9-9-8.
E – McFarland 3, Carlson 2, Montoya, Ottoson, Payne. LOB – Roosevelt 5, Eaton 7. SB – Schlagel, Montoya 2, Valverde, McFarland, Hildreth. 2B – Dyer, Carlson. 3B – Dyer.
Batteries – Lydon, Cardona (2) and Wilson; Dyer and Carlson. W – Dyer (3-0). L – Lydon (2-1). WP – Cardona, Dyer 2. SF – Smith, Carlson. HBP – Ball (by Lydon); Hernandez (by Dyer); Hilgreth (by Dyer); Carlson (by Cardona); Payne (by Cardona). T – 2:51.
