Lakewood – When a pitcher steps up to the plate, someone usually reminds him to get a hit and help himself out.
Bradshaw Perry helped himself, his team and the young Cherokee Trail program Friday.
Perry drilled a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh to score two runs and give the Cougars a stunning 5-4 victory over previously unbeaten Broomfield in the Class 4A Championship Series at All Star Park.
The victory staved off elimination for the Cougars (23-2), who must face Northridge on Saturday morning with the winner getting one more shot at Broomfield (18-7) in the afternoon’s winner-takes-all finale at All-City Field.
“My stomach was churning,” Perry said of his last at-bat. “As soon as (relief pitcher Jacob Hamilton) threw two balls, I knew he was going to come back. I just waited for that and tried to drive it into the gap.”
Mike Carrasco and Ty Jacobs scored easily from second and first, respectively, as Perry’s blast went deep into the left-field gap.
Perry threw a complete game for the win with a mix of heat and off-speed pitches. The junior right-hander struck out 13 and allowed nine hits and three earned runs.
The Cougars led 2-0 after one inning and 3-1 after three, before the Eagles took the lead with two runs in the top of the fifth.
Eagles cleanup hitter Curt Siebenaller crushed a triple over center fielder Beau Schneider to score Chris Grandinetti and tie the game 4-4. Jacobs sailed his relay throw over third and out of play to score Siebenaller and give Broomfield its first lead.
No other Broomfield player hit for extra bases.
Tim Moore was 2-for-3 for the Cougars with two RBIs and a triple in the third inning. Grandinetti was 3-for-4.
“I think we had a couple of little mistakes that could have gotten us a run or two, but we did everything that we had to do,” Eagles coach Garren Estes said. “It was their day today.”
Northridge 6, Cañon City 0
Rhett Morgan easily outdueled Cañon City ace Cameron Maldonado in an elimination game between Cinderella squads.
Morgan scattered six hits – all singles – over seven innings, struck out four and allowed no walks as the Grizzlies (18-7) chased Maldonado in five innings.
“A lot of quick innings today,” said Morgan, who also knocked in two runs in the top of the fifth inning with a double off the wall in left. “I didn’t have my best stuff, but I hit my spots.”
Catcher Jarred Wallace was 3-for-4 with an RBI double, and first baseman Aaron Roybal scored a run and was 2-for-3 with a run-scoring double.
“(Morgan) threw well but we just didn’t come out and play as we’ve played before,” said Tigers first baseman and relief pitcher Miles Gorham, who was 3-for-3 at the plate.
Maldonado didn’t have his usual heat and couldn’t overpower the Grizzlies. He gave up eight hits, two earned runs and struck out five.
Cañon City finishes 14-10.
GAME 1
Broomfield 010 120 0 – 4 9 1
Cherokee Trail 201 000 2 – 5 6 3
Broomfield – McBride cf 4-0-2-2, Berggren lf 4-0-0-0, Grandinetti ss 4-1-3-0, Siebenaller 1b 4-1-1-1, Oliver sp-rf 3-0-0-0, Arapkiles 2b 2-0-0-0, Kessler c 2-0-1-0, Lontine 3b 3-1-1-0, Alexander dh 3-0-1-0, Maddox rf 0-0-0-0, Craddock cr 0-1-0-0, Hamilton rp 0-0-0-0. Totals 29-4-9-3
Cherokee Trail – Schneider cf 3-1-0-0, Jacobs ss 3-2-1-0, Perry p 3-0-1-2, Moore lf 3-1-2-2, Noraker 1b 3-0-0-0, Crandall c 3-0-0-0, Brundage 2b 3-0-1-0, Glime 3b 3-0-0-0, Frisbie dh 1-0-0-0, Carrasco rf-cr 0-1-0-0, Williams dh 2-0-1-0, Miller cr 0-0-0-0. Totals 27-5-6-4.
E – Arapkiles; Noraker, Jacobs, Brundage. LOB – Broomfield 7; Cherokee Trail 4. SB – Grandinetti, Arapkiles; Brundage. CS – Grandinetti, Lontine. 2B – Perry. 3B – Siebenaller; Moore. GT – 1:57.
Batteries – Oliver, Hamilton (4) and Kessler; Perry and Crandall. WP – Oliver; Perry. W – Perry. L – Hamilton.
GAME 2
Northridge 001 131 0 – 6 9 0
Cañon City 000 000 0 – 0 6 2
Northridge – De Besche rf 3-0-1-1, Ferguson 2b 3-0-0-0, R. Morgan p 4-0-1-2, J. Wallace c 4-0-3-1, Huston cf 3-0-0-0, Maldonado lf 2-1-1-1, Roybal 1b 3-1-2-1, Puga 3b 3-1-1-0, C. Wallace ss 2-1-0-0, K. Morgan cr 0-1-0-0, Hood cr 0-1-0-0, Mansfield cr 0-0-0-0. Totals 27-6-9-6.
Cañon City – Gangel rf 3-0-0-0, Crespin cf 3-0-0-0, Ary ss 3-0-0-0, Maldonado sp-1b 3-0-0-0, Gorham 1b-rp 3-0-3-0, Kerr lf 3-0-0-0, Flores 2b 3-0-1-0, McCain c 3-0-1-0, Wendt 3b 2-0-1-0, McBeth cr 0-0-0-0, Dwen 1b 0-0-0-0. Totals 26-0-6-0.
E – Maldonado, Flores. LOB – Northridge 4, Cañon City 4. DP – Cañon City. CS – K. Morgan; McBeth. 2B – R. Morgan, J. Wallace, Roybal. SAC – De Besche, C. Wallace, Ferguson. GT – 1:39.
Batteries – R. Morgan and J. Wallace; Maldonado, Gorham (5) and McCain. WP – Gorham. B – Maldonado. W – R. Morgan (8-1). L – Maldonado (9-2).
