HIGHLANDS RANCH — Significant firsts are beginning to mount for Valor Christian.
In their first varsity season, the Eagles hosted their first playoff game Thursday — a first-ever state-sanctioned extra matchup required to settle league ties and account for the Class 4A districts’ final berth — and delivered dramatically.
In a tight meeting with Woodland Park, the Eagles used a ground-rule double by Ryan Toscano in the bottom of the sixth inning to down the Panthers 7-6 and advance to Saturday’s opening district round at host Silver Creek in Longmont.
Valor Christian (13-7) edged district hosts Wheat Ridge and Golden in one-run victories within the past week, and it earned another one, much to the delight of coach Keith Wahl, who earlier began the nearby Mountain Vista program.
“They’ve started to figure it out. I couldn’t be happier,” said Wahl, who has no seniors and started two juniors.
Valor Christian rallied from two deficits. The biggest of their eight hits came from leading hitter Toscano, who bounced a hanging curveball over the right-field fence for his third hit.
“It’s great,” he said. “It’s so big for our school and team.”
The Eagles trailed 6-3 after three and got all they wanted from the Panthers (12-8) in another brisk finish to the regular season because of the barrage of spring storms. Like others, Woodland Park’s pitching staff was taxed — and injured — but hung tough with a couple of early rallies and two double plays. However, the Panthers, who won twice Tuesday for their chance, left the bases loaded twice and couldn’t overcome reliever Collin Jones, who earned the victory.
“We gave it all we had,” Panthers coach Chris Winstead said.
Woodland Park 123 000 0 — 6 9 1
Valor Christian 300 301 x — 7 8 3
Woodland Park — Giambalvo p-lf 4-0-0-1, Cannella c 1-1-1-1, Huggins ss-p 3-0-0-1, Snider 1b 4-0-1-1, Watters lf-1b-p 4-0-1-0, Jones 3b 3-1-2-0, Szabo rf 4-2-2-0, Wilson 3b 4-2-1-1, Logsdon 2b 3-0-1-1. Totals 30-6-9-6.
Valor Christian — Ward lf 4-2-3-1, Roebuck ss 3-2-2-0, Challis 2b 3-0-0-1, Toscano 3b 3-1-3-3, Anderson c 3-0-0-0, Berglund cr 0-0-0-0, Miller rf 2-0-0-0, Steese 1b 3-0-0-1, Froistad cf 2-1-0-0, Jones dh-p 2-0-0-0, Peats cr 0-1-0-0, Palser p 0-0-0-0. Totals 25-7-8-6.
E — Roebuck, Anderson 2, Cannella. DP — Woodland Park 2. SAC — Jones. LOB — Woodland Park 10, Valor Christian 4. SB — Canella 2, Snider, Steese, Jones. 2B — Ward, Toscano.
Batteries — Giambalvo, Hughes (1), Watters (5) and Cannella; Palser, Jones (3) and Anderson. W — Jones (7-1). L — Watters. WP — Watters. PB — Cannella 2. Balk — Palser. T — 2:16.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
