Lakewood – Green Mountain was playing for its playoff life Wednesday against a Wheat Ridge team playing for its first league title since the late 1960s.
Much as they have in most games, the Rams hung around against the Farmers and delivered a heartbreaking loss.
Kyle Jark hit a run-scoring double and left fielder Jordan Robinson laid down a suicide squeeze as the Rams scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally past Wheat Ridge 7-5 and cap a wild finish to Class 5A Jefferson County League play.
The Rams (12-6, 5-5) increased their grip on a low district playoff seed while knocking the Farmers (10-7-1, 8-2) down to the No. 2 seed thanks to Columbine’s 10-0 victory over Arvada West.
“That was a great comeback win,” said Jark, who drove in two runs and scored once. “We’re fighting for the playoffs here, and that’s what we needed.”
Pitcher Ted Jamison overcame some shaky moments and went distance for the Rams. Jamison allowed just four hits, including a grand slam to pitching counterpart Beau Stevens, and balanced out eight walks with 13 strikeouts.
The Rams trailed 5-3 before sophomore third baseman Ryan Barban got things going with a one-out walk in the sixth. Cory Miller, who doubled twice, got hit by Stevens before Jark laced a shot down the right-field line to score Barban.
“I was just trying to take it to opposite field to move the runners around,” Jark said.
Robinson then tied the game when he scored courtesy runner Shawn Juarez on the squeeze play. Jark scored when Stevens belatedly threw the ball away at first and right fielder Greg Wood made it 7-5 when he brought Robinson home with a shot to left field.
Stevens also went the distance and gave up six hits. The left-hander walked just three batters and struck out three.
“We had control over the whole game, everything was going our way and then I thought we eased up a little bit,” Stevens said. “They get a few hits in there, and they add up.”
Wheat Ridge 005 000 0 – 5 4 1
Green Mountain 000 304 x – 7 6 2
Wheat Ridge – Swanson 2b 2-1-0-0, Stevens p 3-1-1-4, Altman lf 3-0-0-0, Morgan rf 4-0-1-0, Nelson dh 4-0-0-0, Brown 1b 3-0-1-0, Wright c 2-1-0-0, Doyle ss 2-1-1-0, Nadeau cf 2-1-0-0, Land 3b 0-0-0-0, Hewitt cr 0-0-0-0, Dixon cr 0-0-0-0. Totals 25-5-4-4.
Green Mountain – C. Juarez cf 3-0-0-0, Raabe 1b 3-1-1-0, Barban 3b 1-2-0-0, Miller c 2-0-2-1, Jark dh 2-1-1-2, Robinson lf 2-1-1-2, Wood rf 3-0-1-1, Eppard 2b 3-0-0-0, Garbarino ss 1-0-0-0, Jamison p 0-0-0-0, S. Juarez cr 0-2-0-0. Totals 20-7-6-6.
E – Stevens, Barban, Jamison. DP – Wheat Ridge. LOB – Wheat Ridge 8, Green Mountain 1. CS – Altman. SAC – Nadeau; Jark, Robinson. 2B – Morgan; Miller 2, Jark. HR – Stevens, grand slam in third.
Batteries – Stevens and Wright; Jamison and Miller. PB – Green Mountain 3. W – Jamison (7-2). L – Stevens (6-3). HBP – Miller (by Stevens in sixth). T – 1:33.
