EVERGREEN — Rivalry victories always mean a lot, especially to the seniors.
Although the recent snowstorm meant Conifer wouldn’t beat Evergreen this season on its home field, the Lobos made themselves at home on the Cougars’ stomping grounds.
“It was important that we try to show well and try to help (the seniors) win their last Evergreen game,” Conifer third baseman Wes Knott said. “It was really special for them and me.”
Knott drove in three runs as the Lobos dispatched the Cougars 9-5 in an important Class 4A Jefferson County League matchup.
With the victory, the Lobos (10-7, 7-1 Jeffco) strengthened their grip on the No. 2 seed in the league. Evergreen, which began the season 10-0, fell to 13-4, 4-4.
Lobos catcher Derek Lee went 3-for-3 with an RBI as eight of Conifer’s field players got a hit to help build an early lead.
“We’ve been getting production from different parts of our lineup at different times,” Lobos coach Jarod Nicholson said. “You can’t ask for much more as a coach than to see, pretty regularly, Nos. 1 through 9 have an opportunity to produce any given day.”
Conifer starter T.K. Ochoa struggled with his location early but was in the groove by the third inning. After issuing four walks in the first two innings, Ochoa, who struck out eight and improved to 5-3, retired eight straight.
“We had him on the ropes,” Cougars skipper Terry Hensley said. “But what we did, we went up there, took a couple third strikes and then he regained his confidence.”
The Cougars had six hits, all singles, and made a variety of costly mistakes, including three passed balls, two wild pitches, two balks (one to score a run), a blown fielder’s choice and two errors on a grounder to third.
After second baseman Travis Coe led off the game with a single, the Cougars didn’t get another hit until Sam Jones laced the ball into right with one out in the fifth.
Evergreen 110 012 0 — 5 6 2
Conifer 302 130 x — 9 11 1
Evergreen — Coe 2b 3-1-2-0, Jones 3b 4-1-2-2, C. Murphy p 3-0-0-0, Barr cr 0-0-0-0, Frease 1b 3-0-1-1, Coalmer cf 4-0-0-0, Harris rf 3-1-0-0, Petrik lf 0-0-0-0, Coffer dh 2-1-0-0, Knotts ss 1-0-0-0, Rosswog ph 1-1-1-0, E. Murphy c 1-0-0-0, Aramovich c 1-0-0-0. Totals 26-5-6-3.Conifer — Kostival lf 4-0-1-0, Brown 2b 4-1-1-0, Ochoa p 2-1-1-1, White rf 0-0-0-0, Eddy 1b 2-2-1-0, Riley rf-p 4-2-1-1, Lee c 3-1-3-1, Kelly cr 0-0-0-0, Knott 3b 3-1-2-3, Schwend ss 4-1-0-0, Waibel cf-ph 1-0-1-1, Balent dh 2-0-0-0. Totals 29-9-11-6.E — Jones, Frease; Eddy. LOB — Evergreen 7, Conifer 8. Caught stealing — Kostival. SAC — E. Murphy; Knott. 2B — Knott, Brown, Waibel.
Batteries — C. Murphy and E. Murphy, Aramovich (3), E. Murphy (5); Ochoa, Riley (7) and Lee. W — Ochoa (5-3). L — C. Murphy (5-2). HBP — Knotts (by Ochoa in second); Ochoa (by E. Murphy in sixth). PB — E. Murphy 2, Aramovich; Lee 2. WP — C. Murphy 2. B — C. Murphy 2. T — 2:20.
