ARVADA — Tyler Wallace has dreamed of hitting a walkoff home run against the best high school pitcher he has seen.
Thursday’s effort was close enough — the senior crushed a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to lift defending Class 3A champion Eaton over host Faith Christian 4-3.
Wallace’s blast to left field came off ace Pierce Johnson, who was two strikes from victory. Johnson hung a slider and Wallace, who has signed with Northern Colorado, got all of it.
“I was just telling my dad the other day that the coolest thing I could do besides winning a state championship this year is hitting a walkoff against Pierce,” Wallace said. “He’s the best pitcher I’ve ever seen or hit against by a mile.”
Wallace was 3-for-4 at the plate, scored three times and got his final at-bat after an Eagles error, one of four for the game, kept the Reds (3-0) alive. His effort was complete in that he also notched the pitching victory with four innings of relief in which he allowed no hits and struck out eight.
Johnson took his first loss — the Eagles are 5-1 — after topping out at 90 mph and throwing more than 100 pitches.
It was yet another comeback victory for the historically strong Reds, who also gave longtime coach Jim Danley his 1,499th career victory as a high school and Legion coach. The 62-year-old began in 1968 or before man landed on the moon.
“It’s a play we work on a lot,” Danley joked of Wallace’s blast. “He’s just a great player, truly a great hitter. This game is easy for him and he got a good pitch, a spinner, and he got the whole thing.”
Wallace also singled twice and reached base on an error.
It was tight throughout between the midrange powers. Eaton starter Bryce Ruff was touched for three runs through three innings before Wallace closed the door.
Johnson was sharp, too, despite blowing a two-run lead. He struck out nine but didn’t retire the side in order in any inning and gave up four hits over the final two innings.
“This will be good for us,” Eagles coach Gino Carbajal said. “We’re OK. Maybe this will help us work harder.”
Eaton catcher and Oral Roberts signee Bennett Pickar had two singles and Logan Hall had a key RBI in the sixth. Johnson, walked intentionally twice, hit a two-run homer in the third.
Eaton 100 001 2 — 4 8 1
Faith Christian 102 000 0 — 3 4 4
Eaton — Geisack rf 4-0-0-0, Jackson 2b-ss 4-1-1-0, Wallace ss-p 4-3-3-2, Pickar c 4-0-2-0, Estreich cr 0-0-0-0, Hall cf 2-0-1-1, Cruz lf 3-0-0-0, Ruff p 0-0-0-0, Jonnes dh 3-0-0-0, Monfort 1b 2-0-0-0, Anderson 3b 3-0-1-0, Hagan 2b 0-0-0-0. Totals 29-4-8-3.
Faith Christian — Henry cf 3-1-1-0, Smith 2b 3-1-1-0, Carbajal ss 4-0-0-0, Johnson p 1-1-1-2, Beasley cr 0-0-0-0, Mochal lf lf 3-0-1-1, Buchmann c 3-0-0-0, Masciotro 1b 3-0-0-0, Pott 3b 3-0-0-0, LePore rf 3-0-0-0. Totals 26-3-4-3.
E — Carabajal 2, Pott, Wallace, Jackson, Pott. LOB — Eaton 6, Faith Christian 6. SAC — Smith. DP — Faith Christian. SB — Monfort.
2B — Henry. HR — Johnson, one on in third; Wallace, one on in seventh. Batteries — Ruff, Wallce (4) and Pickar; Johnson and Buchmann. W — Wallce (1-0). L — Johnson (2-1). HBP — Henry (by Wallace). PB — Buchmann. T — 2:04.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
