One solid starting pitcher on a good team is probably enough to win a league championship.
To win a Class 5A state baseball title, however, there better be more arms available as the title series stretches on.
Brandon Brooks, making just his second start of the season, stepped to the mound for Rocky Mountain, wobbled a bit at the start but cruised to an 11-2 victory over Wheat Ridge on Saturday at All City Field.
“I sat down after the first inning and had a talk with my coach,” Brooks said. “I just realized I had to step up. I started throwing strikes and had some defensive plays behind me, and it all worked out from there.”
Rocky Mountain (18-5) is now the favorite to win it all as it enters the final weekend of the double-elimination tournament as the only undefeated team. Every 5A team that has been in that position since the postseason was reformatted went on to win the state title.
“Talking about it won’t jinx us. We’ll have the same approach next week as we did this week,” Rocky Mountain’s Jordan Stouffer said.
Wheat Ridge (21-3) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after Brooks walked three of the first four batters. Everett Altman and Cameron Brown took advantage, hitting RBI singles for the Farmers.
Rocky Mountain didn’t stay down for long, as Brooks found his form on the mound just as the Lobo bats came alive.
Andy Burns stroked a solo home run in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit in half, and the Lobos went wild the next time up. No. 9 hitter Nik Wunsch’s double drove in Garrett Stone to tie the score, and Tony Rafiti scored for the lead thanks to a two-out, infield error.
That was just the beginning, as Wunsch scored on a balk by Wheat Ridge starter Jeff Nadeau. Shortly after, Burns drove in a run and Stouffer followed with a two-RBI double that capped a six-run inning for Rocky Mountain.
“We’ve done it all season. It’s something we expect to do,” Stouffer said.
Brooks started sitting down batters in quick succession. He opened the second by giving up a single before retiring the next 16 hitters, striking out 10. Brooks finished with 12 strikeouts.
“He got me with a couple of fastballs that tailed away and I couldn’t put the bat on it,” Altman said. “That’s not how I expected our team to play.”
Earlier, Curtis Cunningham hit three two-run home runs in Columbine’s 16-6 victory over Regis to keep the Rebels alive for next weekend. The loss eliminated the Raiders.
Wheat Ridge 200 000 0 – 2 3 3
Rocky Mountain 160 400 x – 11 12 1
Wheat Ridge – Swanson 2b 2-1-0-0, Stevens cf 3-1-0-0, Altman rf 3-0-1-1, Wright c 2-0-0-0, Nelson dh 2-0-0-0, Brown 1b 3-0-1-1, Doyle ss 2-0-0-0, Nadeau p 2-0-1-0, Orms lf 3-0-0-0, Land p 1-0-0-0, Dixon pr 0-0-0-0. Totals 23-2-3-2.
Rocky Mountain – Marquez 2b 4-1-2-0, Peters 3b 4-1-1-0, Burns ss 3-3-2-2, Stouffer 1b 4-0-1-2, Stewart cf 3-1-1-0, Kelley lf 4-1-3-1, Stone dh 4-2-1-3, Rafiti c 2-0-0-0, Wunsch rf 1-1-1-1, Towne pr 0-1-0-0, Wood dh 1-0-0-0. Totals 30-11-12-9.
E – Doyle 3, Brooks. DP – Rocky Mountain. LOB – Wheat Ridge 6, Rocky Mountain 4. Caught stealing – Wunsch.
2B – Kelley, Stouffer, Wunsch. HR – Burns, solo in first; Stone, two on in fourth.
Batteries – Nadeau, Land (3) and Wright; Brooks and Rafiti. W – Brooks (1-0). L – Nadeau (4-1). WP – Land. Balk – Nadeau. T – 1:57.
REGIS 10, ARVADA WEST 3
Regis 003 130 3 – 10 10 3
Arvada West 200 010 0 – 3 4 3
Jackson and O’Dowd; Zendejas, Harmer (5), V. Capra (7) and N. Capra. W – Jackson. L – Zendejas.
HR – O’Dowd, R, two on in third.
Highlights – Jackson, R, 1-for-4, 3B, pitched complete game, 6 Ks; O’Dowd, R, 1-for-3, HR, 4 RBIs, run scored; Vierra, R, 4-for-4, 2 2Bs, 3 RBIs; Harmer, AW, 1-for-2, 3 RBIs.
COLUMBINE 16, REGIS 6
Columbine 202 072 3 – 16 17 0
Regis 120 210 0 – 6 10 3
Brady, Zhan (6) and Gillman; Gillespie, Castle (4), Jackson (5), Lester (5), Black (6) and O’Dowd. W – Brady. L – Gillespie.
HR – Cunningham, C, (3), one on in first, one on in third, one on in sixth; Kimmeth, R, one on in second.
Highlights – Brady, C, 4-for-4, 2B, RBI, run scored; Cicchinelli, C, 4-for-4, RBI, 4 runs scored; Cunningham, C, 3-for-3, 3 HRs, 7 RBIs, 3 runs scored; Zasowski, R, 2-for-3, run scored.
