Revenge was a soft single off a pitcher’s glove Sunday for Tony DeCarlo.
The Golden third baseman, who was one of the top prep seniors chosen to play in the Colorado Rockies’ annual Top 50 game at Coors Field, smacked the ball off Matt Skipper in the bottom of the seventh inning to score the game-winning run for the Purple squad.
“I always want a hit off Skipper, so I finally got it, right off his glove,” said DeCarlo, who is all too familiar with Skipper, who played for the Class 4A state champions and Jeffco rival Ralston Valley. “I’ll take it.”
DeCarlo’s hit capped a four-run, two-error inning as the Purple beat the Silver squad 8-7.
Skipper, the Post’s 4A player of the year, was sent to the mound after the Purple team chased Calhan pitcher Ben Doran with the bases loaded. DeCarlo’s hit capped a rally that looked bleak after the Silver squad went up 7-3 in the top of the sixth.
Pueblo Central first baseman Dion DeHerrera hit a towering three-run homer in the third inning, and Erie catcher Shane Wade hit a two-run triple in the sixth for the Silver squad.
“I just kept my weight back and crushed it,” DeHerrera said of his blast to left off Fountain-Fort Carson pitcher Shayne Hulce. “It felt unbelievable.”
The Purple squad took a 2-0 lead after two innings on a run-scoring triple down the right-field line by Rocky Mountain’s Alex Kelly and a sacrifice fly by Air Academy outfielder Ron Burton.
“I haven’t run a triple in a while,” Kelly said.
DeHerrera’s homer put the Silver squad up 3-2 before the Purple tied it in the fifth inning when Thomas Jefferson’s Dylan Smith scored from third on a double steal. The Silver made it 7-3 and was up 7-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Doran got the nod in the seventh and gave up consecutive hits to Burton and Kadets teammate Ross Yeager. Doran eventually walked the bases full and walked Hulce as the Purple made it 7-5, and the Silver squad turned to Skipper to save the game.
Dakota Ridge’s J.C. Ochoa and Eric Cain were both 2-for-2 at the plate for the Silver team.
Colorado (Silver) 003 004 0 — 7 10 4
Rockies (Purple) 110 011 4 — 8 11 0
Colorado (Silver) — Glime (Cherokee Trail) c 2-1-1-0, Ochoa (Dakota Ridge) c 2-1-2-0, Wade (Erie) c 2-1-1-2, Doran (Calhan) p 2-0-0-0, Hansen (Lewis-Palmer) p 2-1-0-0, Jackson (Regis) p 1-0-0-0, Packard (Niwot) p-1b 2-0-1-2, Rodriguez (Pueblo South) 2-0-0-0, Steinmetz (Highlands Ranch) 1-1-0-0, Cain (Dakota Ridge) ss-2b 2-1-2-0, DeHerrera (Pueblo Central) 1-1-1-3, Jacobs (Cherokee Trail) ss-of 2-0-0-0, Skipper (Ralston Valley) 1b-p 2-0-0-0, Barban (Ralston Valley) 2b-ss 1-0-1-0, Ogawa (Doherty) 3b 1-0-1-0, Wall (Faith Christian) 3b 1-0-0-0, Winder (Moffat County) 2b-of 0-0-0-0, Baros (Erie) of 1-0-0-0, Gooden (Eads) of 1-0-0-0, Martinez (Longmont) of 1-0-0-0, Popick (Lakewood) of 1-0-0-0, Whittemore (Arapahoe) p 0-0-0-0. Totals 29-7-10-7.
Rockies (Purple) — Rianoshek (Boulder) of 2-0-1-0, Davis (Chatfield) c 1-0-0-0, Zaruba (Skyline) p 2-1-1-0, Kelly (Rocky Mountain) 2-0-1-0, Price (Air Academy) 1b-p 2-1-1-0, Thornburg (Mullen) c 2-0-0-0, Castiglione (Horizon) 3b 2-1-1-0, Burton (Air Academy) of 1-1-1-1, Yeager (Air Academy) 2b 2-1-1-1, Capra (Air Academy) p 1-1-0-0, Koepsell (Grand Junction) c 2-1-0-0, Hulce (Fountain-Fort Carson) p 1-1-0-0, Laverette (Fossil Ridge) ss 2-0-1-1, DeCarlo (Golden) ss 2-0-1-2 O’Connor (Cherry Creek) ss 1-0-0-0, Percy (St. Mary’s) 1-0-1-0, Higgins (Grand Junction) of 1-0-0-0, Olsson (Cherry Creek) 1-0-0-0, Smith (Thomas Jefferson) p 1-1-1-0, Sample (Mullen) p 0-0-0-0, Ottoson (Eaton) p 0-0-0-0, Garduna (John F. Kennedy) p 0-0-0-0, Tallman (Monarch) p 0-0-0-0. Totals 29-8-11-7.
E — Ogawa, Gooden, Winder, Cain. SB — Winder; Smith, Rianoshek. SF — Burton. 2B — Barban, Packard; Zaruba. 3B — Wade; Kelly, Castiglione. HR — DeHerrera (two on in third).
Pitchers — Ottoson, Garduna (2), Hule (3), Zaruba (4), Smith (5), Tallman (6), Price (7); Whittemore, Steinmetz (2), Hansen (3), Jackson (4), Packard (5), Rodriguez (6), Doran (7), Skipper (7). W — Price. L — Doran.
