Matt Skipper doesn’t care for specialization. He’s a baseball player, pure and simple, which means he will enter the lineup anywhere.
So when he heads to San Diego State later this year, he will have the chance to keep doing what he has been doing for Class 4A Ralston Valley — playing multiple positions and contributing heavily.
Thursday against D’Evelyn, the 6-foot-9, 245-pounder struggled early on the mound but got stronger as he went along, reached base five times, ripped two extra-base hits and scored the winning run.
In his Mustangs’ key 12-9 4A Jefferson County League victory, it was a microcosm of what he expects next season.
“They told me I’ll play in the outfield and at first base and pitch some,” Skipper said after going 4-for-5 with a home run and four runs batted in. “I’ll have a chance.”
His chances were good Thursday despite being tagged for eight runs against the Jaguars (10-6 overall, 4-3 league) in the first three innings. He settled in, struck out 12 batters and gave Ralston Valley (13-2, 6-0) a chance it cashed in by chipping away at the lead.
Creighton-bound middle infielder Ryan Barban, eventual winning pitcher Travis Hayes and outfielder Matt Spirek added home runs, and catcher Matt Jones had three doubles among his four hits as the Mustangs overcame a 6-1 deficit.
Said Skipper after being pitched to in the ninth with two men retired: “It was kind of nice to get a chance to see what I could do with two outs.”
After Skipper reached base, a Hayes single and one of Jones’ doubles along with three Jaguar errors in the inning — six for the game — decided it.
“It has been happening to us all year with two outs,” Jags coach Dan Porreco said.
Ralston Valley 102 120 303 — 12 14 5
D’Evelyn 512 000 100 — 9 9 6
Ralston Valley — Spirek rf 5-1-1-1, Flaherty lf 5-2-0-0, Barban 2b-ss 4-2-1-1, Skipper p-1b 5-2-4-4, Hayes ss-p 5-2-3-1, Jones c 5-2-4-2, Towner 4-0-1-0, Reeves cr-3b 1-1-0-1, Doherty cf 3-0-0-0, Winter dh 5-0-0-1. Totals 42-12-14-11.
D’Evelyn — Rebek 2b 4-2-1-0, Baldassari rf 6-1-2-1, Reyelts c 3-1-2-1, Ozols cf 5-1-1-1, Loveland p 3-0-1-2, Neely cr 0-1-0-0, Milburn p 1-0-1-0, Wilson 3b 5-1-0-0, Basil lf 4-1-0-1, Tschudy 1b 4-1-0-0, Nicholson dh 4-0-1-2, Hintz ss 0-0-0-0. Totals 39-9-9-8.
E — Wood 3, Barban, Wilson, Hayes, Rebek 3, Hintz 2. DP — Ralston Valley, D’Evelyn 3. LOB — Ralston Valley 5, D’Evelyn 10. SAC — Tschudy. SB — Reeves. CS — Reeves. 2B — Jones 3, Skipper, Nicholson, Hayes, Milburn. HR — Barban, solo in first; Skipper, solo in fifth; Hayes, solo in fifth; Spirek, solo in seventh. Batteries — Skipper, Hayes (7) and Jones; Loveland, Milburn (7) and Reyelts. W — Hayes (1-0). L — Milburn. HBP — Barban (by Loveland); Loveland (by Skipper); Doherty (by Milburn). Balk — Loveland, Hayes 2. WP — Hayes. T — 3:20.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
