Baseball followers can’t complain — the two best big school teams of the 2008 season will meet Saturday to decide the Colorado championship.
It was done in conflicting yet standard styles in the Class 5A championship series at All-City Field on Friday.
Air Academy, which has had to rally in its last at-bat multiple times this season, needed to do it again in a 6-5 victory over Chatfield. And Rocky Mountain, the defending champion that has made a habit of beating up the opposition, did it again with a 13-2 whipping of Arapahoe.
Air Academy will need to down the Lobos twice Saturday if it wants the 5A pennant — Rocky Mountain has yet to lose in the double-elimination playoffs. The first game will be at noon. If another is needed, it will be at 4 p.m. or immediately following, as Class 4A also may have two games if Ralston Valley knocks off undefeated Thomas Jefferson in the opener at 10 a.m.
For the Kadets, who improved to 23-2, a one-out bases-loaded single to center field in the bottom of the eighth by No. 7 hitter Greg Volz knocked home two teammates as they will play for their first championship since 1989.
“I just wanted to hit it hard,” Volz said.
Trailing 5-4, it was set up when Ron Burton reached on an error and Dexter Price, bound for Auburn, ripped his second double. Matt Moore was intentionally passed to load the bases and create an easier forceout situation. It started to work as Jared Brown looked at strike three.
However, Volz, who had been 0-for-3, singled sharply.
“We’ve had to come back four or five times this year,” Kadets coach Glenn Millhauser said. “These kids deserve to play for a championship.”
Price improved to 9-0 on the mound and he allowed only one hit through five. But pesky Chatfield (19-6) came alive in the sixth with a four-spot on a three-run home run by Casey Coy and a solo shot by Jake Davis for a 4-3 lead.
The Kadets tied it, then gave it up again in the top of the eighth on a run-scoring single by Chargers losing pitcher Taylor Rogers.
And it could have been worse or lost for Air Academy in the seventh, but Price snared a screaming line drive by Coy with two outs and a runner in scoring position.
As for Rocky Mountain (22-3), a relentless offense once again forced a victory by the mercy rule. The Lobos pounded 15 hits, cracked two homers and won their ninth consecutive series game and 13th playoff victory in a row.
Andy Burns, everyone’s top local draft choice, began the game with a homer, and the rout was on.
Every Rocky Mountain starter had a hit, paced by three each from Marco Gonzales, including a double, and Chris Roglen, who also tripled; and two by speedy outfielder Jake Stewart.
“It’s really a team situation,” Burns said.
As for pitching, the Lobos were in good shape having not lost in the series — No. 3 starter Richard Daggett earned the victory with relief from Pierce Trumper, leaving top pitchers Bryan Peters and Gonzales available against the Kadets.
“That’s the thing,” Arapahoe coach Luke Muller said after his team ended 18-7 and gave the program its third Final Four appearance since 1980. “They didn’t have to throw their No. 1 (against us). And that lineup is good.”
Dave Holland homered for the Warriors, who were held to six hits.
Now, the top teams will decide the championship.
Chatfield 000 004 01 — 5 7 1
Air Academy 102 001 02 — 6 7 2
Chatfield — Shannon cf 4-1-2-0, Coy 2b 3-1-1-3, Davis c 3-2-1-1, Crubaugh 3b 3-0-0-0, Camporeale lf 4-0-0-0, Rogers p 4-0-2-1, Putka cr 0-0-0-0, Ahrens dh 3-0-0-0, Joyce ph 1-0-0-0, Mills 1b 3-0-0-0, Watson ss 3-1-1-0, Fritze rf 0-0-0-0. Totals 31-5-7-5.
Air Academy — Terry ss 3-2-1-1, Yeager 2b 4-0-1-1, Burton cf 4-1-0-1, Price p 4-0-2-0, Doyle cr 0-2-0-0, Moore c 3-0-1-1, Brown 1b 4-0-0-0, Volz rf 4-0-1-2, Fenlason lf 2-1-0-0, Bartlett 3b 3-0-1-0. Totals 31-6-7-6.
E — Bartlett, Terry, Crubaugh. LOB — Chatfield 5, Air Academy 5. DP — Air Academy, SB — Shannon. SAC — Crubaugh. 2B — Shannon, Price 2. HR — Terry, solo in first; Coy, two on in sixth; Davis, solo in sixth. Batteries — Rogers and Davis; Price and Moore. W — Price (9-0). L — Davis (6-2). HBP — Coy (by Price); Davis (by Price). WP — Rogers, Price. T — 1:56.
Rocky Mountain 122 026 — 13 15 2
Arapahoe 000 020 — 2 6 3
Rocky Mountain — Burns ss 5-2-1-1, Peters 3b 4-2-1-1, Stewart cf 4-2-2-1, Kelly 1b 3-1-1-1, Gonzales lf 2-2-2-2, Roglen rf 4-2-3-3, Towene lf 0-0-0-0, Wunsch c 4-0-1-1, Bean dh 3-1-1-0, Daggett rf 3-0-2-2, Trumper 2b-p 0-0-0-0, Chuvala ph 0-0-0-0. Totals 34-13-15-12.
Arapahoe — Brewer ss 2-1-1-0, Sudduth dh 3-0-1-0, Guymon lf 3-0-2-1, Byrd c 3-0-1-0, Overton 1b 2-0-0-0, Davidson rf 3-0-0-0, Kible 2b 3-0-0-0, Holland 3b 2-1-1-1, Soehngen cf 2-0-0-0, Whittemore p 0-0-0-0. Totals 23-2-6-2.
E — Kelly, Overton, Peters, Byrd, Kible. LOB — Arapahoe 5, Rocky Mountain 6. DP — Rocky Mountain. SB — Kelly, Stewart. CS — White. 2B — Guymon, Gonzales. 3B — Roglen. HR — Burns, solo in first; Peters, solo in fifth; Holland, solo in fifth. Batteries — Daggett, Trump (5) and Wunsch; Whiitemore, Henderson (6) and Byrd. W — Dagget (5-0). L — Whittemore (5-2). WP — Whittemore 2. T — 2:14.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
