Longmont – When Mama said there would be days like this, she probably never envisioned this.
Greeley West, sporting a nifty 5-0 record, was absolutely obliterated by Northern League foe Skyline on Wednesday at William A. Stephens Field.
Obliterated: 18-0.
“It was just one of those games,” first-year Spartans coach Brian Holmes said. “The first inning was rough.”
That might be the biggest understatement ever.
Greeley West starter Abram Carlson walked the first five hitters he faced, then two of the next four. Without surrendering a hit and having faced every member of the Falcons’ lineup, Carlson was already down 4-0.
When Skyline turned the lineup over, leadoff man Shane Zaruba doubled in two more runs, Jace Herman walked again and Derrick Bleeker followed with another two-RBI double. That concluded Carlson’s day.
When all was said and done, Skyline sent 16 batters to the plate, scored 11 runs on just five hits and simply demoralized the Spartans.
“We stressed as a team that we just had to be patient with (Carlson),” said Cade Lehl, who finished 3-for-3, with three runs scored and four RBIs. “This was a big win for us.”
The reward for the Falcons?
“We’re going to Disney World!” said Bleeker, who faced just one over the minimum on the mound.
Skyline (6-2, 5-1 league) leaves Sunday for three games at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., and does so with a lot of confidence.
“Going down there after an 18-0 victory gives us all the confidence in the world,” said Bleeker, whose coach Michael Hoog was in Japan and missed the game. “It doesn’t feel like anyone can stop us right now.”
Eight Falcons scored runs and eight also knocked in runs.
The lone hit for the Spartans came off the bat of Robert Hawkins, who was promptly erased on a double-play ball hit by Matt Dowgin.
Greeley West 0 00 00 – 0 1 0
Skyline (11)10 6x – 18 11 0
Greeley West – B. Morgan cf 2-0-0-0, Koppes lf 2-0-0-0, R. Morgan ss 2-0-0-0, Downing 3b 1-0-0-0, Schmitt rf-p 2-0-0-0, Wilson c 2-0-0-0, Hawkins 1b 2-0-1-0, Dowgin 2b 1-0-0-0, Kimmel dh 1-0-0-0, Carlson p 0-0-0-0, Belfiore rf-p 0-0-0-0. Totals 15-0-1-0.
Skyline – Zaruba cf 3-2-2-3, Herman c 1-2-0-1, Bleeker p 2-3-1-2, Lehl rf 3-3-3-4, Lundquist 1b 2-2-1-2, Gonzales lf 4-0-2-3, Ganz ss 1-2-0-1, Hall 2b 3-2-1-0, Linhardt 3b 1-2-1-2. Totals 20-18-11-18.
LOB – Greeley West 1; Skyline 5. DP – Greeley West 2; Skyline 1. SAC – Herman. 2B – Zaruba, Bleeker, Lehl, Gonzales. Batteries – Carlson, Schmitt (1), Belfiore (4) and Wilson; Bleeker and Herman. W – Bleeker (1-1). L – Carlson (2-1). WP – Carlson. HBP – Linhardt (by Schmitt in second). Time – 1:33.
