GREELEY — Needless to say, Skyline’s Derrick Bleeker is not very popular among the Greeley West baseball contingent.
The junior pitched a gem Saturday morning at Butch Butler Field, handing Greeley West its first loss of the season, 8-0, in cold and blustery conditions.
In two regular-season games against the Spartans, Bleeker’s line reads: 12 IP, zero runs, just five hits and 15 strikeouts.
“My team just played tremendous defense, and like the board says, we didn’t make a single error today,” said Bleeker, who improved to 3-0 this season with 31 strikeouts, including eight against the Spartans.
“With our defense playing like that, there’s nothing that can stop us now. Our pitching is strong and our bats are coming back.”
Bleeker — whose actions on the mound, including glaring regularly into the opposing dugout, more than peeved the Greeley West coaching staff — got out of his biggest jam of the game in the first inning. First baseman B.J. Hawkins, who got the only hit off Bleeker in the 2007 meeting, doubled and Rex Morgan followed with a walk. Bleeker then fanned Andrew Downing and Ethan Schmitt to end the threat.
“Maybe with these guys, he gets a little more pumped up, but he’s been doing a good job all year,” Falcons coach Mike Hoog said.
Skyline (6-1 overall, 4-1 Northern League) would get the offense it needed in the fourth inning. Greeley West starter Alex Seier faced the minimum through the first three innings, but a leadoff double by Shane Zaruba opened the floodgates for the Falcons.
Bleeker drove in Zaruba with a single to center. After a Tyler Landwehr single, Nick Bertron drove in Bleeker with a single to left.
Skyline 000 420 2 — 8 11 0
Greeley West 000 000 0 — 0 4 3
Skyline — Zaruba ss 3-1-1-0, Harms c 3-2-2-0, Bleeker p 4-2-2-2, Landwehr rf 3-2-1-0, Bertron cf 4-1-1-1, Wagy 1b 3-0-2-2, Colbrun lf 4-0-1-1, Nehls 2b 3-0-1-0, Wilkes 3b 3-0-0-0. Totals 30-8-11-6.
Greeley West — Belfiore rf 3-0-1-0, Hawkins 1b 3-0-1-0, R. Morgan ss-p 2-0-1-0, Downing 3b 2-0-0-0, Schmitt cf 2-0-0-0, Wilson c 3-0-0-0, Foose 2b-ss 3-0-0-0, Vergara dh-2b 2-0-0-0, Seier p 0-0-0-0, M. Morgan lf 3-0-1-0. Totals 23-0-4-0.
E — R. Morgan, Downing, M. Morgan. DP — Skyline 1; Greeley West 1. LOB — Skyline 5; Greeley West 7. SB — Harms. CS — Colburn, Zaruba. 2B — Zaruba, Bleeker; Hawkins, M. Morgan.
Batteries — Bleeker and Harms; Seier, R. Morgan (5) and Wilson. W — Bleeker (3-0). L — Seier (1-1). HBP — Schmitt (by Bleeker in fourth); Vergara (by Bleeker in seventh). Time — 1:45.
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
