Boulder – With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, one of the interesting races lies in the Class 5A Centennial, where the chase is on to try to catch Grandview.
Mullen took a significant step toward staying in the race Tuesday with a key, come-from-behind victory on the road at Fairview, winning late 10-9.
The game-winning hit belonged to Kirk Ehrhart, whose two-out single to left field scored courtesy runner Chris Athens and improved the Mustangs to 9-4 overall, 7-2 in league and two games behind Grandview.
“It was nice. We’re just picking each other up,” Ehrhart said. “It was a great team win today.”
The Mustangs trailed 7-0 after three innings and were definitely looking uphill at Fairview starter Chris Mezger, a 6-foot-10 right-hander. However, the Mustangs scored five runs in the fourth, chipped away and patiently got back into it.
“We showed some character,” first-year Mustangs coach Vince Porreco said. “We didn’t panic, didn’t try to get too much too fast and we stayed disciplined. That will take this team a lot farther than big swings.”
Aaron Salvucci ripped a three-run triple in the fourth and Corey Slinkard’s opposite-field, three-run homer gave the Mustangs the lead in the sixth for the big hits, but a sacrifice fly by Adrian Schenk and a run-scoring single by No. 9 hitter Zach Hogan also set up Ehrhart’s game-winner.
Just as important, Fairview coach Rick Harig said after his team dropped to 7-7, 5-4, was key relief pitching by lefty Steve Covello, who picked up the victory and silenced what had been potent Knights bats.
“You have to give them credit for hanging in there,” he said of the Mustangs. “(Covello) was a real momentum changer.”
Despite three errors, the Mustangs also received a save from Bryant Asnicar and got two hits each from Salvucci, Ehrhart, Slinkard and Hogan.
Fairview was paced by Jake Anderson’s three hits and three RBIs.
Mullen 000 513 1 – 10 10 3
Fairview 412 101 0 – 9 11 0
Mullen – Schenk rf 2-1-0-1, Salvucci cf 5-1-2-3, Ehrhart 3b 3-0-2-2, Thornburg dh-p 4-1-1-0, Ngyuen 1b 2-1-0-0, Slinkard lf 2-3-2-3, Stransky 2b 4-0-0-0, Belloni ss 3-1-1-0, Hogan c 3-0-2-1, Athens cr 0-2-0-0, Gemperline p 0-0-0-0, Covello p 0-0-0-0, Asnicar p 0-0-0-0. Totals 28-10-10-10.
Fairview – Singh cf 4-2-1-0, Willis lf 4-1-2-0, J. J. Anderson c 4-2-3-3, Burmeister dh-p 4-0-1-1, Douse rf 4-1-0-1, Tharp 3b 4-2-2-0, McGraw 1b 4-1-1-3, Butler 2b 3-0-0-0, A. Anderson ss 3-0-1-1, Mezger p 0-0-0-0, Nowell p 0-0-0-0. Totals 34-9-11-9.
E – Nguyen, Belloni 2. DP – Mullen. LOB – Mullen 9, Fairview 4. SB – Tharp, A. Anderson, Singh. SAC – Schenk. 2B – Burmeister, Tharp, Willis, Salvucci. 3B – Salvucci. HR – J. Anderson, solo in fourth; Slinkard, two on in sixth.
Batteries – Gemperline, Covello and Asnicar; Mezgar, Nowell, Burmeister and J. Anderson. W – Covello (3-1). L – Burmeister (1-2). HBP – Ehrhart (by Mezger); Thornburg (by Mezger); Belloni (by Nowell). SF – Schenk. WP – Gemperline, Mezger, Nowell 2. T – 2:18.
Neil H. Devlin can be reached at 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com.
