Highlands Ranch – Valley took the fifth Saturday, loudly.
Through four innings of baseball’s Class 3A District 3 championship game, the Vikings held a razor-thin lead over Denver Christian. Then things exploded.
Triggered by a three-RBI double from catcher Austin Kern, Valley put up seven runs in the decisive fifth inning on the way to a 13-4 victory over the host Crusaders at Brian Bohanon Field. The Vikings advanced to the state round of eight next weekend.
“I was feeling pretty good in the fourth because I knew my bats would step up,” Valley pitcher Josh Jurado said. “We got that clutch double and that really changed things.”
Jurado pitched a complete game for Valley (17-4), but he gave credit to his offense for a reason. The Vikings’ batters combined for 12 hits and nine RBIs against one of the better pitching staffs in 3A.
“Like my coach (Steve Kissler) said all week, they have some of the best arms in the state,” Kern said. “But once we started stroking the ball, we didn’t stop.”
Kern stepped to the plate in the top of the fifth inning with the bases loaded and his Vikings holding a 5-4 lead. His previous two at-bats ended with swinging strikeouts, so Kern figured he was due for a connection.
Kern turned on the pitch and blasted it to the right-field fence without a bounce. That drove in Alex Hodson, Geoff Betz and Andy VanHoesen, putting the Vikings up 8-4.
Valley was just getting started. Brandon Frank, the next batter, drove in Kern. Danny Jurado ripped a two-run single to the fence and Jarrod Huwa, who crushed a solo home run in the third inning, drove in another run. By the time Denver Christian (15-4) got the third out, Valley led 12-4.
For the Vikings, Frank went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored, and Danny Jurado hit two singles, drove in two runs and scored two more.
The Crusaders cut Valley’s lead to 5-4 with two runs in the third inning.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Valley 302 070 1 – 13 12 1
Denver Christian 202 000 0 – 4 9 0
Valley – Frank lf 4-3-3-1, Vogl ss 5-0-1-0, Stewart cf 3-1-0-1, D. Jurado 3b 5-2-2-2, Huwa rf 3-2-2-2, Hodson dh 3-2-3-0, Betz 1b 4-1-0-0, VanHoesen 2b 3-1-0-0, Kern c 4-0-1-3. Totals 34-13-12-9.
Denver Christian – Bailey cf 4-1-1-0, Henry ss 2-2-1-0, Ross p-rf 4-1-2-1, Lanser rf-p-ss 4-0-1-1, Bennett 3b 3-0-0-0, Van Kooten 2b 4-0-2-1, Kurtz 1b 2-0-0-0, Ellsworth lf 3-0-0-0, Callahan c 4-0-2-0. Totals 30-4-9-3.
Batteries – J. Jurado and Kern; Ross, Lanser (5), Henry (7) and Callahan. W – J. Jurado (7-3). L – Ross. LOB – Valley 9; Denver Christian 10. E – Vogl, V. WP – Ross, DC, 3; Lanser, DC; J. Jurado, V. PB – Callahan 4. HBP – D. Jurado, V, by Ross; VanHoesen, V, by Ross; Huwa, V, by Henry. Balk – Henry, DC.
2B – Hudson, Kern, Frank; Henry, Ross, Van Kooten. HR – Huwa, V, solo in fifth. SB – Stewart 2, Huwa, Frank, D. Jurado; Lanser. CS – Flanders, DC. SAC – VanHoessen.
FIRST ROUND
Clear Creek 001 020 0 – 3 4 5
Denver Christian 510 420 x – 12 14 0
Simpson and Valdez; Dykstra and Callahan. W – Dykstra (5-3). L – Simpson. Highlights – Henry, DC, 3-for-5, 2B, run scored; Kurtz, DC, 3-for-4, 3B; Valdez, CC, 2-for-3.
La Junta 000 111 0 – 3 4 3
Valley 103 000 x – 4 5 3
Weaver and Davis; Stewart and Kern. W – Stewart (6-0), 10 Ks. L – Weaver. Highlights – Frank, V, 2-for-4, 3 Sbs; Vigil, LJ, 2-for-3, run scored, SB.
