WHEAT RIDGE — The 3-hour, 3-minute marathon was more than ample time to encompass one of those drastic Colorado spring weather changes, as in dark clouds with snow, rain, cold and wind to sunny skies, cold and wind.
The sunniest spot Thursday for Columbine was Scott Anundsen, who put out the fire long enough to help lift Columbine past Wheat Ridge 13-11 in the Class 5A Jefferson County League.
Anundsen earned his first victory of the season by squelching the scoring-fest in the middle innings. He was touched for a two-run single when entering in the second inning and had to pitch out of a jam in the seventh, but helped Columbine improve to 6-5 overall, 2-0 league, in one of the more spirited Jeffco rivalries.
“It’s a battle,” Anundsen said. “Last year, in the playoffs, we had a heated rivalry. (The Farmers) have a bunch of good hitters, I was just hitting my spots today.”
He hit enough of them to help Columbine retake the lead, then hold it. With Rebels starter Kyler Brady wild and getting hit around, Anundsen settled in and the Rebels’ bats came alive.
Danny Spond was 3-for-3 with four runs batted in, including two in a five-run sixth. Morgan Blatnik, Jeff Cicchinelli (including a solo home run in the first), Anundsen, Cody Hagan and Brady each had two hits as the Rebels totaled 15.
Wheat Ridge (6-3, 0-2) kept coming and nearly rallied to tie it in the seventh, including bringing the winning run to the plate in the seventh, but none of its three pitchers were able to keep the Rebels off the scoreboard.
Starter Mac Land knocked in four runs with three hits and Jacob Nelson had a two-run homer.
Columbine 123 205 0 — 13 11 2
Wheat Ridge 250 002 2 — 11 11 3
Columbine — Blatnik 3b-lf 4-1-2-0, Cicchinelli ss 5-1-2-1, Anundsen lf-p 5-0-2-0, Tanner cr-rf 1-4-0-0, Cunningham 1b 2-1-0-0, Hagan rf 4-2-2-2, Spond dh 3-1-3-4, Roberts cf 0-2-0-0, Brady p-3b 3-1-2-2, Autenrieth c 4-0-1-0, Weibel 2b 4-0-1-1. Totals 35-13-15-10.
Wheat Ridge — Orms cf 5-2-2-1, M. Land p-ss 4-3-3-4, Nelson ss-1b-p 2-2-1-2, Bauer lf 4-0-0-1, C. Land 3b 3-0-0-1, Trione c 4-0-2-2, Duff cr 0-0-0-0, Wheeler 1b 2-1-0-0, Shannon p 1-0-0-0, Bradley dh 4-2-2-0, Causer rf 0-0-0-0, Marvel 2b 4-1-1-0. Totals 33-11-11-11.
E — Cicchinelli, Wheeler, M. Land, Brady, C. Land. DP — Wheat Ridge. LOB — Columbine 8, Wheat Ridge 7. SB — Tanner 3, Bradley, Anundsen. CS — Cunningham, Blatnik. 2B — Orms, M. Land, Spond 2. HR — Cicchinelli, solo in first; Nelson, one on in sixth.
Batteries — Brady, Anundsen (2) and Autenrieth; M. Land, Shannon (3), Nelson (6) and Trione. W — Anundsen (1-0). L — Shannon (0-1).
WP — M. Land 2. SF — Spond. T — 3:03.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
