Highlands Ranch – Cody Scott’s turn in the pitching rotation couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time for Arapahoe, even after the right-hander yielded three runs to the first three batters Continental League baseball leader Mountain Vista sent to the plate against him Wednesday.
Scott handcuffed the Golden Eagles on one hit the rest of the way and contributed mightily to his team’s 17-hit attack as the fifth-ranked Warriors routed No. 8 Mountain Vista 14-3 in five innings and jumped back into the thick of the league race.
“Cody’s probably the most competitive person I’ve been around; I wanted him to throw in this game,” Arapahoe coach Luke Muller said. “He battled and shut them down the rest of the way.”
Scott gave up a single, walk and three-run home run to Mountain Vista’s Evan Haezebrouck, putting Arapahoe into a 3-2 hole after one inning.
But the senior regrouped and retired 15 of the last 17 batters he faced, including the final eight. A hit batter in the second and a one-out double by Haezebrouck were the only baserunners Scott allowed during the stretch.
“I think I was a little too wound up,” said Scott, who struck out four and improved to 5-0. “I was leaving the ball up a little bit. I tried to make some adjustments (after the home run) and was able to work the ball down.”
Scott was “wound up” because this was a crucial game for the Warriors, who came in with a 4-1 Continental record to Mountain Vista’s 7-0 that included wins over Regis and once-beaten Chaparral, teams remaining on Arapahoe’s schedule.
“We came out ready to play and send a message that we’re scared of no one,” Scott said.
Though Arapahoe trailed after the first inning, Scott and his teammates didn’t seem to be fazed. The Warriors had scored 17 and 22 runs in their two previous league games, and they jumped Arizona signee Joe Allison for two runs on three hits in the top of the first.
The onslaught continued in every inning, with a little help from Mountain Vista’s defense, which committed four errors leading to three unearned runs.
Kit Brown’s two-run infield single with two out in the second put Arapahoe ahead for good, and the Warriors added four in the third on five hits and a throwing error.
Arapahoe 224 33 – 14 17 0
Mountain Vista 300 00 – 3 3 4
Arapahoe – Hemphill ss 4-1-2-1, Brown 2b 4-2-3-2, Case 3b 4-2-2-3, Hardcastle lf 3-1-0-0, Turner 1b 4-2-4-2, Scott p 4-2-2-3, Runberg dh 3-1-1-0, Coulter rf 0-0-0-0, Stanton cf 3-2-2-1, Soehngen lf 3-1-1-0. Totals 32-14-17-12.
Mountain Vista – Robertson lf 3-1-1-0, Harman 2b 2-1-0-0, Haezebrouck 1b 2-1-2-3, Beck rf 2-0-0-0, Higgins ss 2-0-0-0, Schugel 3b 2-0-0-0, Zamora dh 2-0-0-0, Allison p 0-0-0-0, Graham p 0-0-0-0, Davis c 1-0-0-0, Cruz cf 2-0-0-0. Totals 18-3-3-3.
E – Higgins 2, Robertson, Beck. LOB – Arapahoe 4, Mountain Vista 2. SB – Brown, Davis. 2B – Case, Turner 2, Scott, Stanton, Haezebrouck. 3B – Case. HR – Scott, one on in fourth; Haezebrouck, two on in first.
Batteries – Scott and Hardcastle; Allison, Graham (5) and Davis. W – Scott (5-0). L – Allison (2-3). WP – Scott, Allison. HBP – Davis (by Scott in second).
