Lakewood – It appears that even less than one league game separates Wheat Ridge from Bear Creek.
Bears pitcher Libby Balogh and her Wheat Ridge counterpart, Giana Zimmerman, starred in a Class 5A Jefferson County League showdown, combining for 25 strikeouts, and neither would give an inch.
The players on these teams know one another well – some play together in the summer – and will get a chance to see one another again today after a setting sun ended Tuesday’s game after 12 innings, 2 hours, 22 minutes and a 2-2 deadlock on the scoreboard.
“It’s definitely a tiring game,” Balogh said. “I don’t think I’ve played in a game this long. It’s a pitchers’ duel, for sure.”
Neither pitcher gave up a hit through three innings. But Bear Creek (11-3 overall, 4-1 Jeffco), No. 9 in The Denver Post/9News 5A poll, took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Kate Strobel drove in Mallorie Sulaski with a two-out single that dropped in shallow center field.
No. 3 Wheat Ridge (12-2 5-0) got two runs in the seventh on RBI singles by Alyssa Hickey and Miranda Mickelson.
The Bears almost broke the tie in the 12th but had a runner thrown out at third.
Wheat Ridge 000 000 200 000 – 2 6 1
Bear Creek 000 100 100 000 – 2 6 1
Wheat Ridge – Fields cf 5-0-2-0, Percell ss 4-0-0-0, G. Zimmerman p 5-0-0-0, Larson 1b 1-0-0-0, A. Zimmerman 3b 5-0-1-0, Nelson rf 3-0-0-0, Hickey c 5-1-1-1, Iacino 2b 5-0-0-0, Mickelson dh 5-0-1-1, Sivetts 1b 2-1-1-0. Totals 40-2-6-2.
Bear Creek – Atencio ss 5-0-0-0, Romero lf 2-0-0-0, Sulaski 1b 4-1-1-0, Pearson 3b 5-1-1-0, Strobel rf 5-0-2-2, Carlson c 3-0-0-0, Hires cf 5-0-1-0, Pucheco 2b 5-0-0-0, Balogh p 4-0-0-0, Olmedo dh 1-0-0-0, Salazar lf 2-0-1-0. Totals 41-2-6-2.
E – Larson; Atencio. LOB – Wheat Ridge 7; Bear Creek 5. 3B – Pearson. SB – Fields 2; Hires. SAC – Nelson 2, Fields; Carlson. Batteries – G. Zimmerman and Hickey; Balogh and Carlson. WP – G. Zimmerman 2. Time – 2:21.
